Bright Eyes: The Unsung Ninja:Wrath of the Phoenix
by GeneralWildfire
Summary: Following the story of Sara Uchiha, a young kunoichi in the Hidden Leaf Village, after three years Naruto has finally returned from training. What new challenges await?
1. Part 1

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

**Recap:**_ While Naruto & Sakura have been training with two of the legendary Sanin, Sara has risen through the ranks, attaining the rank of Head Anbu but eventually settling into the rank of jônin. It has been two, almost three, years since Naruto left the village and now the young ninja are ready for action._

**Homecoming!**

Kakashi walked down the stairs, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw Sara ready to head out the door. "You're up early," he commented, sinking into one of the kitchen chairs, "Do you have plans for today?"

"I promised Kenshin and Ryo that we'd hang out today," she said casually.

He nodded, "That's fine, I'll probably find a quiet place to read."

"Again?" Sara questioned, "You've read those books at least a thousand times!"

Kakashi gave her a stern look, "Like you haven't read them that much."

"I skip the parts you read though," she responded as she opened the door, "I'll see you later, Master Kakashi."

He sighed as the door closed, _I'll never get tired of how my life is, even when Naruto returns; Sara and I have grown closer since he's been gone and I know that won't change…_ His mind drifted to the teamwork the young pair of ninja had once had, _she and I have an even stronger teamwork then that now, after all we've been through. Even she, Kenshin, and Ryo have begun to show exemplary teamwork skills, even if they can't be on missions together anymore… She's certainly not the same shinobi, now she's more sarcastic; hot headed, but also thoughtful and wary…strange combination of traits!_

Kakashi pulled himself out of his thoughts and said aloud, "I'm thinking like Naruto's going to come back this very day!" He shook his head back and forth before he ate a quick breakfast and headed out towards the village to find a quiet spot to read.

Meanwhile, Sara stood outside of Tiégra's, waiting for Kenshin and Ryo to arrive. A couple of chûnin passed her and said a polite hello, but quickly moved on. She sighed, _not much has changed…they acknowledge my rank but that's it. They're still fearful of Phoenix._

Phoenix added, _"Perhaps they're more afraid of you now then me, after all, you're considered to be at the same level as Kakashi."_

She nodded thoughtfully as a couple more ninja passed; she caught some of their muffled conversation:

"That's Sara Uchiha," one of the guy's whispered to the guy next to him, "They say she can teleport even faster then the legendary Yellow Flash!"

The other scoffed, "I heard that she can teleport just as fast, but with more stealth, get your ears checked!"

The third chimed in, "Either way, she's a deadly ninja, I'm glad she's on our side."

"So we think," the first said, casting a quick glance at her. She pretended to be occupied with something down the street.

The second added, "Rumor has it she's a half-breed." Sara flinched slightly at those words, but they didn't notice. "It's said she's Uchiha AND Hatake."

"Is she Kakashi's…" the first started to say but the third interrupted him.

"No!" He rolled his eyes, "It's just a rumor anyway, there's no fact in it…"

The three shinobi continued to argue as they walked further down the street, casting glances back at her every few seconds.

A soft voice made Sara turn, "How are you taking the newest rumors of the village?" Tiégra stepped out of her restaurant and watched the shinobi's receding forms.

"The rumors come and go," she said shrugging, "I'm more concerned with where Kenshin and Ryo are."

Tiégra smiled, "I'm sure they're around here somewhere, if anything, Kenshin's trying to get Ryo out of bed."

"Probably," Sara said smiling.

At the entrance to the village, two figures strode in; one with long, white hair tied into a massive ponytail and the other with spiky blond hair, the blond being much younger then the white haired man.

The white haired man said to the blond, "It's been more then two years…"

"So it has…" the blond replied as they made their way through the Hidden Leaf Village, their home.

After taking several more steps the blond set his pack down and proceeded to leap onto a pole.

The white haired man, Jiraiya, chuckled softly, "Always rambunctious…"

"Hey!" The blond haired youth, Naruto, shouted, "Hellooo Hidden Leaf Village! You haven't changed at all!"

Back at Tiégra's, Sara's head snapped towards a shout that echoed throughout the village faintly. A smile crossed her face, "Tiégra, give my apologizes to Kenshin and Ryo, but something's come up that I need to deal with."

"Go ahead," Tiégra said smiling, recognizing the voice of Naruto Uzamaki, "I'm sure they'll understand."

Sara nodded before disappearing in the blink of an eye, not even a puff of smoke to indicate that she had been standing next to her only milliseconds before. Tiégra glanced up at the sky, _you'd be so proud of her, Enaki…_

Meanwhile, Naruto surveyed the village from atop the pole and stared in shock and amazement at the Stone Faces laughing, "Granny Tsunade's up there now!"

A voice behind him said, "All grown up, eh, Naruto?" Naruto turned to see who had spoken; while Jiraiya watched the shinobi from the ground.

"Hi there," Kakashi said, waving, _Make-Out Violence_ in one hand.

A huge grin spread across Naruto's face, "Kakashi-sensei!" He leaped onto the rooftop that Kakashi was sitting on, "You haven't changed at all!" As he landed he added, "Oh yeah I almost forgot…! I have something for you!" Kakashi looked wary.

In the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade called out, "Sakura."

"Yes, Milady?" Sakura answered from her position near the window that looked out upon the village.

Tsunade smiled, "That brat, Naruto, has returned."

Back on the rooftop Kakashi exclaimed, "What? Naruto? Naruto…you…"

Naruto held in his hands _Make-Out Tactics._ He said, "It's the latest in the _Make-Out_ series, y'know. The first in three years! Figured you'd like it, even though it's probably totally boring…"

Jiraiya glared up at Naruto, _Fool…it's 'cuz you're still young. Plus that is an ultra rare advance copy…_

Kakashi eagerly took the book from Naruto and hopped down from the roof, he was already reading the latest book in his favorite series. Naruto jumped down and led the way as they all began heading further into the village.

Naruto asked after a few minutes of walking, "Show of hands, who wants Ichiraku Ramen?" His left hand shot into the air. Without looking back he jogged ahead, heading towards Ichiraku.

Jiraiya said quietly to Kakashi, "As promised, Kakashi, he's all yours." Kakashi glanced at him. "I suspect the Akatsuki will make their next move soon so I'm going back to gathering intelligence." They both jumped in surprise as Naruto stopped.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed staring at a familiar face. He stuttered, "S-Sakura?"

"Huh? Naruto?" Sakura was just as surprised to see him. She blushed slightly after a few seconds of an awkward silence, "Wow! Almost didn't recognize you, we've both really grown, huh?"

"If you say so! You haven't changed at all, Sakura," Naruto said laughing.

Sakura glared at him, _idiot!_ Naruto was confused by her glare.

Jiraiya sighed, _smooth kid, could you be any more oblivious._

_He still needs to mature in certain ways,_ Tsunade thought from where she was standing a little behind Sakura.

"Well, maybe you're just taller than I remember," Sakura commented.

Naruto tried to figure out if he was taller as she thought, _taller…and…well…_ A puff of smoke distracted her.

"Naruto, big bro! Check it out!" Konohamaru made a hand sign and transformed into a naked woman, "Ninja Centerfold!" He winked.

Jiraiya's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "WHOA!"

Konohamaru released the jutsu and asked, "What do you think? I got the boing-fwhht-boing part down, eh?"

Naruto smirked as he laughed softly. Konohamaru looked at him in confusion. Naruto looked Konohamaru straight in the eyes, "Konohamaru, I'm not a kid anymore. You gotta work on other jutsu too, y'know." Konohamaru looked crestfallen.

Sakura blushed and put a hand over her chest, _So much more mature? Who is this guy and what as he done with Naruto? Wonder what else is up his sleeve? Some incredible new jutsu?_

Naruto got an intense look on his face, "That jutsu is totally boring, Konohamaru! Now watch this! My new pervy ninjutsu invention! Here it goes!"

"New…pervy…ninjutsu?" Sakura questioned a strained smile appearing on her face. She slugged Naruto with all her might, "Are you KIDDING ME?" Naruto landed with a thud, making Kakashi turn away from his book to see what was going on.

Sakura grabbed Naruto by his shirt collar, "What is your problem? We haven't seen each other for two years and you pull a stunt like that? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Huh? Do you? And I was thinking you were so grown up!"

"Now, now, Sakura, calm down," Kakashi said with a terrified Konohamaru hiding behind him, "you're scaring Konohamaru."

Sakura released Naruto, and Naruto quickly changed the subject, "Hey! Where's Bright Eyes? I wanted to ask her a couple of things…"

"She was with Kenshin and Ryo last I knew," Kakashi answered, "Anything I can answer?"

Naruto nodded, "Pervy Sage said that she was related to you and that other guy, Enaki…is that true?"

Kakashi nodded, "Yes, it's true. She's half Hatake. But don't mention Enaki in front of her." Naruto was about to ask why but Kakashi said sternly, "It's not my place to tell you what happened, you'll have to get up the nerve to ask Sara when you see her!"

Tsunade drew their attention to her as she said, "All right en-!" A net appeared around her and everybody else apart from Naruto and they all rose into the air.

"What the-!" Naruto shouted looking around.

Sakura tried to cut the net apart, but the string refused to cut, "Chakra's being run through these nets!"

"Hang on I'll get you guys out," Naruto said as he dashed forward to help everyone. A kunai landed right in front of him and he turned around to see who had thrown it.

A boy with silver hair and an Anbu mask over his face said in a voice similar to Kakashi's, "I've been waiting for you to return, little fox. You'll make a nice addition to my collection."

"Just who the hell are you?" Naruto demanded.

The boy laughed, "That's of no importance…now…fight me!" The boy lunged forward, barely giving Naruto any time to block his attack.

The boy leapt away from Naruto and said, "Not bad, I see you did learn something from the Toad Sage."

Tsunade asked Kakashi silently, _it would seem your ward wanted to test Naruto's strength._

_Yes…I just wish she wouldn't mimic my voice from my youth!_ Kakashi answered. Tsunade laughed quietly to herself.

Naruto shouted, "I don't care who you are, but I'm going to make you wish you had never entered this village!"

"Oh really?" The boy taunted, pulling out a kunai, "and what is the little fox going to do about it?"

"This!" Naruto made a Shadow Clone and began to perform the Rasengan. He temporarily allowed his gaze to leave his opponent before he charged shouting, "Rasengan!"

"Rasengan!" The boy shouted, meeting Naruto's head on. The two Rasengans cancelled each other out. The boy kicked Naruto and sent him flying onto the ground.

Naruto lay still, winded as the boy placed a kunai against his throat and lowered his head to whisper in Naruto's ear. Naruto closed his eyes ready for the death blow to be dealt.

The boy whispered, his voice more familiar, more feminine, "If I were really an enemy…you'd be dead." The boy pulled the kunai away from Naruto's throat and stepped away from him. Naruto opened his eyes and watched as the boy pulled on a wire and the nets fell to the ground and everyone landed on their feet.

Naruto stood up and watched as the cloud of smoke surrounded the boy; when it cleared a girl with light brown hair and ice blue eyes stood before him. A scar over her left eye looked familiar to him but that was it.

The girl was an inch taller then he was, and she had a lanky build, Naruto glanced at Kakashi, _her build is similar to Kakashi-sensei's…_ She wore black jeans and a black shirt that had the Uchiha clan's fan on the back, and her Leaf Village headband hung around her neck, while tape covered her left shoulder. Her hair was tied into a ponytail but some of it hung slightly lower then her bangs, framing her intense ice blue eyes. She stood casually, almost lazy looking, waiting for him to say something.

Sakura was dumbfounded to as she gazed at the kunoichi in front of her, _who is she? She looks familiar…her face looks Uchiha…no way!_

Naruto asked, "Just who are you?"

Sara fell backwards completely thrown off by Naruto's stupidity. She stood up again and said, "Of all the people you remember, I would have hoped that you would remember me!"

"Sorry, I don't," Naruto stated, eyeing her suspiciously.

Sara's pupils narrowed into slits, "Looking familiar yet? Or else I can clobber you again to see if that jogs your memory, you moron."

Naruto's eyes suddenly showed recognition and he said astonished, "Bright Eyes?" She nodded. "Wow! You've really changed! You really are half Hatake aren't you?"

Sara rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I'm half Hatake, but don't blab it to everyone, all right? I don't want people to think I'm related to him," she gestured to Kakashi.

Kakashi pretended to give her a stern look, but failed, "I was wondering what happened with Kenshin and Ryo."

"They took to long in getting to Tiégra's, and I heard this idiot's voice, so I thought that I would give him something to think about."

"That you're still better then me?" Naruto questioned darkly.

Sara sighed, "Naruto, there is a serious difference in our ranks now."

"Aw, who cares! I'm just happy we're still friends!" Naruto announced, missing the "difference in ranks" part of Sara's statement.

"All right," Tsunade said, still slightly annoyed from being in a net, "Enough with the emotional reunion. Kakashi."

Kakashi clamped his book shut and said, "Wow, it sure has been a while." Naruto and Sakura stared at him in confusion while Sara moved to stand beside him. "From here on out, you two are going to be apart of my team again." Sara stared at him dumbfounded.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, _sometimes Kakashi assumes too much. Sara doesn't realize that she's apart of the team too._

Kakashi continued missing everyone's looks of confusion, "Not as sensei and students but as equals. Fellow Leaf shinobi." He pulled out two bells, "Now, I want to see how much you've both grown. The rules are the same as when we first met. Attack as though you mean to kill or you'll never stand a chance!"

Naruto blurted out, "What about Bright Eyes?"

"Yeah," Sakura said, "Our team wouldn't be the same without her!"

Kakashi looked confused, "Of course Sara is apart of our team." Sara sighed in relief and Kakashi smiled under his mask, "That's the only difference this time around…" Naruto, Sakura, and Sara stared at him, waiting for him to explain, "Sara will be helping me to keep you two from getting the bells."

**How They've Grown!**

"What?" Naruto shouted, "That's not fair! We need Bright Eyes to help us!"

Kakashi chuckled, "It would be an unfair advantage to you two. Sara and I know each other's moves too well; I wouldn't stand a chance against the three of you."

"But how is it fair that you two get to work together?" Sakura questioned.

Kakashi smiled, "This way, you get the chance to test how strong we've gotten while you two have been training."

Sakura and Naruto exchanged a resigned look before they nodded, accepting this change in the exercise.

When they arrived at their usual training field (the one with the Memorial Stone) Kakashi turned to face Naruto and Sakura, "As I said before, the rules are the same as when we first met. You may use whatever tactics you wish to try and take the bells from me. However, this time Sara will be helping me to keep the bells away from you. You have until sunrise tomorrow."

Naruto and Sakura were looking around at the training field. Naruto said, "Sure brings back memories…this place."

"Yeah," Sakura answered.

Kakashi had gone to reading his book, but he glanced up, "Oh, right. This was the site of your very first exercise."

"Squad Seven," Sakura said lost in her own memories.

Naruto finished, "The only four-man cell."

"Back then we had Sasuke too, didn't we…" Kakashi said. Sara elbowed him and he looked up again. Naruto was on the ground on his hands and knees while Sakura was sitting, her knees close to her chest, both of them were muttering.

Kakashi said silently, _"I guess Sasuke's name is taboo…"_

_"You think?_" Sara thought back.

Kakashi closed his book and said, "Anyway, let's begin."

Naruto laughed as he tightened his headband, "Not gonna read this time, sensei?"

"Or have you finished it already?" Sakura questioned as she pulled her gloves down further.

Kakashi answered, "Nope, just saving it for later." He began to move his headband up, "Besides, I get the feeling that this time I'm going to have to make more of a serious effort." He revealed his Sharingan.

Naruto watched Sara as her pupils narrowed into slits, and he looked between Kakashi and Sara, _Bright Eyes is sure a lot like Kakashi-sensei, she even has that lazy look about her…but there's something else that's almost scary about Bright Eyes. Kakashi-sensei doesn't really scare me with his casual stance but Bright Eyes…_

Sakura was also comparing the pair as well, _Kakashi-sensei looks as lazy as ever, but I know now that that's merely a ploy to throw off the enemy. Sara has a similar look but it's more…tensed…it reminds me of a predator ready to strike…_

Naruto had had it with waiting and he threw five shuriken at Kakashi and Sara. Kakashi ducked underneath the shuriken and threw three back while Sara jumped to the side.

Naruto leapt above the shuriken, and Kakashi threw three more to hit Naruto while he was in the air. Naruto made the hand-sign for his signature Shadow Clone Jutsu, and summoned a clone to pull him out of the shuriken's path.

Sara hadn't moved after her first jump to avoid the shuriken, _classic Naruto…_

_Nice! He used a Shadow Clone to help maneuver in midair!_ Sakura thought.

Naruto landed on the ground and began to whip around as his clone transformed into a giant shuriken. Kakashi grabbed the shuriken and held it to the back of Naruto's neck; a clone appeared behind Kakashi and held a kunai inches away from his back, while Sara held a kunai knife to the clone's throat.

Sakura stared in wonder at Sara, _how did she get there so fast? That couldn't have been a teleportation because there was no smoke…she must have sprinted there but that also is unlikely so…how…?_

Kakashi glanced at his predicament and thought, _his use of Shadow Clones and his timing have both improved. _He said aloud, "Still the impatient one, eh…" Naruto laughed softly. Kakashi thought back to when they had all first met and how easily it had been to outmaneuver Naruto. He smiled, _you really have matured, Naruto…_ "All right, GO!"

Kakashi and Sara disappeared, leaving Naruto and his clone baffled.

Sakura began looking for the two ninja, _right…above…left…behind… No sign of them anywhere so…_ "Below!" She reared back and slammed her fist against the ground, forcing Naruto to jump back and startling Sara and Kakashi.

_What?_ Naruto was now terrified of Sakura.

Sara was also a bit worried, _and I thought Lady Tsunade was scary!_

_What raw power!_ Kakashi thought his eyes wide, _looks like Lady Hokage didn't just teach you medical ninjutsu, Sakura!_

Sakura smirked, "Peek-a-boo!"

"I see you!" Sakura whipped around, startled to see Sara right behind her, Sakura leapt out of the way of Sara's punch. The ground shattered once again. Sara stood facing Sakura, _putting that much chakra into a punch isn't my forte but, it is something I can do and it's best that she knows that so she knows to watch her back._

Sakura's mind was racing, _that wasn't a substitution next to Kakashi-sensei, that was her! She couldn't have run or jumped out of there so easily so…she teleports… How can her teleportation be that fast?_

Naruto made a mental note to himself,_ note: do not upset Sakura or Bright Eyes or they'll kill you._

Kakashi stood atop one of the chunks of the ground that had managed to keep a fairly large shape, surveying the two kunoichi. _To rapidly manipulate maximum chakra and instantly concentrate it into one's fist is no small feat. It takes an incredible amount of control…even Sara has trouble doing it with all she's learned… Then again, Sakura was always adept at Genjutsu, but if this of skill is any indication…she may just end up greater then even Lady Fifth._ He nodded once and Sara teleported to his side, he couldn't help smiling at Sakura and Naruto's dumbfounded expressions, _one of the many things Sara chose to master was teleportation, she's refined it to a point that even succeeds the Fourth Hokage's teleportation technique, but she has a lot more up her sleeve._ "You've had your shot, kids, my turn now." Sakura and Naruto instantly took off into the trees. Kakashi laughed and glanced at Sara, "Should we go after them right away?"

"I have a better idea," Sara said before motioning for Kakashi to lean down so she could whisper her idea to him.

The sun was setting as Kakashi dashed through the trees, keeping an eye out for Sakura or Naruto. With practiced ease he leapt up into a tree and moved through several branches, before landing behind a bush, where he began to scour the area for any signs of Naruto or Sakura. It didn't take long for him to spot them, _Naruto's over there…behind that tree slightly to my right…while Sakura's behind me, slightly to the left…This is very different from that first time…_ He remembered how Sakura, Sasuke, and Sara had all remained well hidden while Naruto had wanted to fight him one on one, forcing Sara to come out and help her idiotic friend.

The sound of kunai whistling towards him made him come back to the present, as he leapt out of the way landing on a tree. Pushing himself off of the tree, he drew a kunai and met Naruto head on, their kunai sparking as they scraped against each other. Kakashi threw several shuriken at Naruto, who nimbly dodged them and landed on the ground next to Sakura.

Kakashi couldn't resist saying, "Why don't I teach you a little about the shinobi battle arts? The first lesson…Taijutsu." He rushed forward and kicked at Naruto who ducked underneath it. He punched downwards and Naruto barely managed to dart into a tree.

Sakura smirked as Kakashi turned his back, "You're wide open!"

"Think again!" Sara shouted as she appeared behind Kakashi. Kakashi moved to the side as Sara began backing up dodging Sakura's punches by mere hairbreadths. Sakura thought, _one good punch is all I need to get her out of the way!_

_If she can't hit me this is all wasted energy on her part…_ Sara's eyes widened as she felt tree bark against her back, _shit!_ She moved to the side, just before Sakura's punch would have hit her. The poor tree didn't stand a chance. Sara sighed, _that was too close!_

Kakashi nodded his head slightly; _both of them have matured well._ His attention was diverted as Naruto shouted above him, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto and several clones dove at Kakashi who easily punched or kicked them, making them disappear. Leaping in desperation Naruto said, "Those bells are mine!"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto's wrist and flung him against a tree. The clone disappeared and Kakashi leapt away from the three remaining clones.

Meanwhile, Sakura continued to try and hit Sara with one punch, as Sara kept weaving around her punches, her eyes calculating.

Sakura was getting desperate, _the longer this goes on, the more likely she'll make a counter strike._ She changed her punch into a grab, grabbing Sara's headband to hold her in place. Sara's eyes widened in shock. Sakura swung with all her might, striking her in the face. Sakura released Sara aghast, _I didn't actually think I had her! I would have held back!_ Sara slumped to the ground, her face a bloody mess. Sakura fell to her knees and checked Sara's pulse. As her fingers rested against Sara's neck, a small cloud of smoke enveloped her, making her cough. When it finally cleared, Sakura shouted angrily, "Sara! You pain in the butt!" A busted log sat in front of Sakura, a fake headband tied around it that read, "Sucker!"

Naruto and his clones leapt after Kakashi, who was still in the air, Kakashi disappeared ahead of them and appeared behind them. One of the clones asked in disbelief, "Dancing Leaf Shadow? Bushy Brow's jutsu!"

Bands of cloth shot out from Kakashi's sleeves and wrapped around the three, Kakashi spun them around and leapt away just before the impact. As the dust from the attack cleared Kakashi wondered, "Now where is the real one?"

"Right here!" Naruto leapt out of the bushes and charged forward, Kakashi's back was to him, and he turned slightly to face Naruto. "Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu!" Kakashi's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Thousand Years of Death!" Naruto shouted, revealing the hand sign he had been making.

Kakashi made a strange noise along the lines of, "Argh!" With all his might he leapt into the air.

Naruto muttered, "Damn it! I missed!"

"That was almost the end of me…in more ways then one!" Kakashi said.

Naruto glanced around, "All right! Where's Bright Eyes?"

"Back here," Sara said stepping out of the bushes behind Naruto. Before Naruto could say anything, Sakura leapt down from a tree and aimed a kick at Kakashi. Kakashi moved to the side as another poor tree fell to Sakura's brute strength.

Kakashi slid to a stop and Sara teleported to stand beside him as Naruto walked over to stand next to Sakura.

_This used to be so easy, _Kakashi thought, _I don't even want to think about how this would go if I had placed Sara with them! But Naruto and Sakura are working well together even though they've been apart for two years…_ He glanced at Sara, _and she's reading them easily, like barely any time has passed. She was right in trying to split them up, but obviously that hasn't helped much. We'll have to work together from now on._

Sara nodded slightly, and Kakashi couldn't help smiling, _she knows me so well…_

Kakashi thought of the new _Make-Out _volume sitting in his pouch, _have to resist the temptation…but I really want to know what happens!_

Naruto shouted, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Sara and Kakashi were surrounded by hundreds of clones.

"The sheer number of his clones always amazes me," Kakashi commented.

Sara shrugged, "We've faced worse."

Another smiled crossed his features, _it's a rarity that anything fazes her anymore; she's truly developed into a fine shinobi._

Naruto was baffled, _all right, I know Bright Eyes has never seen this many clones, I was hoping this would at least make her freeze up for even a second!_

"Let's go!" Naruto shouted as his clones charged.

Kakashi and Sara put there backs together, literally, and faced the onslaught. But they were soon split apart as more maneuverability became needed. The pair twisted around constantly getting the direct hits on the clones, making them disappear. The clones were just no match for them, puffs of smoke appeared every second.

Sakura finally became frustrated in watching the scene and she slammed her fist into the ground, hoping to upset the pair's balance. More of Naruto's clones disappeared while Sara and Kakashi leapt into the air and landed away from the damaged earth. They finished off the rest of the clones and stood next to each other, breathing heavily.

"What next?" Sara questioned.

Kakashi said, "Let's fall back."

They disappeared into the trees just as the sun set behind the horizon completely, bathing the forest in darkness.

Naruto grumbled after several minutes of walking through the trees, "I know I heard bells this way!"

"He probably rang them on purpose," Sakura commented. "We need to be careful.

"I know," Naruto muttered, "It's Kakashi-sensei…and Bright Eyes."

"Yeah," Sakura said remembering several pranks that had gotten both Naruto and Sara in trouble back at the Academy, most of which Sara had come up with.

They both paused as Sasuke appeared in front of them, bloody with several weapons sticking out of him.

"Sasuke!" They both gasped.

"N-Naruto…S-Sakura…help me!" Sasuke gasped, staggering towards them, "I-I managed to g-get away from O-Orochimaru. Sakura…Naruto…please!"

"It's a shame…I really would like to talk with Sasuke but… Release!" Sakura said, making the proper hand sign. Sasuke disappeared.

Sara silently shouted at Kakashi, who she could glare at as well, since their trees were across from the other's, _"That was your great Genjutsu idea? That was a move a ripe genin would fall for not seasoned ninja! Get your head out of the past and focus on the two ninja in front of you!"_

Before Kakashi could make a sharp reply back, Sakura said, "I'm not interested in illusions." She pointed to the tree Kakashi was hiding behind, "Naruto, he's over there."

"Oh, no!" Kakashi said quietly.

"Right, Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto shouted as he summoned a clone, which began to perform the Rasengan. He rushed forward, "Rasengan!" The tree ripped apart as the Rasengan plowed through it. Kakashi barely managed to get out of the way.

Sakura stepped forward, "Kakashi-sensei…don't you have something to say? I believe I missed it before."

_"You deserve that one,"_ Sara said silently from her new position up in her tree.

"Shinobi battle skills number two…Genjutsu," Kakashi said with no enthusiasm. _It was so much easier back then…_

Sakura said, "Talk about lack of pizzazz. There's no way we'll fall for the same tricks over and over again."

Sara made a quick hand sign, _my turn now!_

"That's right!" Naruto said smiling.

"Somehow I doubt that," Kakashi said, looking pointedly at the bells on the ground.

"All right, he dropped the bells!" Naruto walked eagerly forward to pick them up.

Sakura shouted, "Naruto, don't!"

"They're mine," Naruto said as he bent down to pick them up. "Hey!" A rope tightened around his ankle and yanked him up into the air.

"See?" Kakashi said, grinning, "You still fall for the old tricks." Naruto disappeared from the trap, "Huh?"

"There's no way I would fall for such a stupid trap!" Naruto shouted punching Kakashi…or so he thought. He sailed right through Kakashi.

"What? More Genjutsu? Release!" Sakura said quickly, Kakashi disappeared.

_"Well done,"_ Kakashi thought looking at Sara, _"They didn't see that coming."_

_"Too bad you can't think straight,_" Sara glared at him, _"There would have been no need for that!"_

_"This is just a friendly spar amongst friends," _Kakashi smiled, _"Even you can't keep up the routine of a hardened shinobi, or else you wouldn't have implemented the Genjutsu the way you did."_

_"Fine,"_ Sara blushed, _"Let's just find a better place to fight besides these trees!"_ The dashed out of the trees, but Sakura and Naruto followed them, having heard their footsteps.

After a few minutes, Kakashi whipped around and threw several kunai at Naruto. Naruto dodged them and moved to make a hand sign, but Sara appeared behind him and kicked his side, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Damn! Shadow Clone! Annoying things!_

Sakura tried to punch Kakashi, but Kakashi easily caught her arm, _Wait! This isn't her!_ Her threw Sakura away from him and kicked her side, a puff of smoke showed that she had been a Shadow Clone, _Naruto…you've gotten better with the transformation jutsu as well…_ He looked up as a shadow fell across him. Sakura was sailing down towards him, ready to strike; _if that even grazes me I'm finished! _He moved to the side and leapt up, just as Sakura punched the ground.

Sara and Kakashi darted towards the small stream within the training area and slid to a halt near it. Naruto and Sakura paused as well, waiting for them to make the first move.

Kakashi said, as Sara grinned mischievously, "Shinobi battle skills number three…Ninjutsu." Sara's grin suddenly didn't look so mischievous to Naruto and Sakura anymore. They stood tense, ready to dodge whatever Kakashi or Sara would throw at them.

Sara began to weave hand signs and neither Naruto or Sakura could follow them.

_The speed of her hand signs!_ Sakura was in awe.

Naruto was panicked, _her hand signs are way to fast to follow!_

Sara made a small circle with her index finger over her other knuckles, _Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!_ A massive fireball plowed its way towards Sakura and Naruto who dodged to either side of it at the last minute.

When they had finally stopped sliding, they saw that the fireball had gouged a path in the earth leading to where Kakashi and Sara should have been standing.

"Where did they go?" Naruto wondered. Something grabbed his ankle, and he stared at a hand, aghast.

A voice underground said, "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Naruto was dragged up to his chin into the earth, and Kakashi leapt out, turning to face him. Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Another Shadow Clone, huh?_

Sara appeared at his side, "Behind you."

He turned around to see Sakura and Naruto running full out at him. Kakashi and Sara leapt back. Sara's hands flew as did Kakashi's as they both weaved hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" Kakashi said at the exact same moment as Sara. Two water dragons rose up behind them before flying at Naruto and Sakura, washing them away.

The moon was high in the sky, as Sakura and Naruto sat, drenched, underneath a tree. Sakura said, "I knew this would be tough, but that Sharingan sure is something as is the Devil's Eyes. Plus their sign weaving speed…it's just so fast that we can't keep up. We've at least got to disable one of them somehow!"

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei is smarter then Shikamaru, keener sense of smell then Kiba, more adept at Sharingan then Sasuke, and his Taijutsu's better then Bushy Brows…not to mention Bright Eyes who moves like lightning and strikes with the same amount of force," Naruto said thoughtfully.

"But one of them has to have a weakness," Sakura encouraged, "come on think!" Naruto looked thoughtful as he tried to come up with one weakness for either Sara or Kakashi.

Kakashi and Sara sat underneath a tree, drenched in sweat. He commented, "They're certainly giving us a run for our money."

"Yeah, I can't believe how good they've gotten," Sara said, smiling, "You wouldn't stand a chance if I was fighting with them."

"Indeed I wouldn't," Kakashi said smiling. "How are you holding up?"

"Good, you?" Sara questioned.

"My Sharingan is beginning to take its toll, but I think I can hold them off until sunrise," he answered.

Meanwhile, Naruto finally had an epiphany, "There is one weakness that Kakashi-sensei has."

"What?" Sakura questioned.

He sniggered, "Oh, come on! It's so obvious!"

"Would you just tell me already?" Sakura asked.

"All right," Naruto said, leaning in to whisper Kakashi's weakness in her ear.

Meanwhile, Kakashi said, just to pass some time, "They really do make a formidable team…I can't wait to see what they come at us with next."

"I can…" Sara squeaked.

Kakashi turned to her, and stared in dismay at how tense her muscles were, "Not now! Anytime but now!"

"I can't exactly control it!" Sara snapped.

Kakashi said, "I'll throw a Genjutsu so they won't see you. That's about all I can do."

Sakura exclaimed after Naruto had told her his idea, "Why didn't I think of that! If we strike just right, not only will his arms be disabled, but his Sharingan as well! Naruto, you are still the number one hyperactive, knucklehead ninja!" Naruto beamed at Sakura's praise.

"Well, let's go!" Naruto said, leading the way.

Kakashi sniffed the air and said softly, "Here they come!" He was bewildered to see them coming straight at him_, a frontal assault? They've got to be kidding me!_

"Now, Naruto!" Sakura shouted.

Naruto nodded, "Here I go! Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi looked up at Naruto warily, "_Make-Out Tactics_ final plot twist. The main character is really…"

Kakashi's eyes widened in horror, _w-what! N-no!_ He covered his ears so he couldn't hear what Naruto was saying. His eyes widened even more as his Sharingan continued to read Naruto's lips, _gah! Because of the Sharingan I can still read his lips!_ He closed his eyes.

Sara watched from her position on the ground, _damn it! They're clever! Come on, let me move!_ She felt her muscles relax and she bolted forward and knocked Naruto's hand away from the bells and kicked Sakura in her side, sending her flying, before she threw Naruto against a tree. She tugged angrily on the bells at Kakashi's waist.

He opened his eyes and uncovered his ears, "Oh!"

"Yeah, oh! He doesn't know the ending to _Make-Out Tactics_...why didn't you tell me about it by the way?" Sara said angrily.

Kakashi looked embarrassed, "I was going to tell you."

Sara rolled her eyes, "Yeah, after you read it several times…let's finish this."

As the sun rose above the horizon several hours later, Naruto and Sakura moaned while Kakashi and Sara sighed in relief.

Naruto complained, "That wasn't fair! We would have had them if Bright Eyes hadn't been helping you!"

Sakura nodded in agreement, "Next time you guys won't win."

Sara grinned, "Don't be so sure!"

Kakashi smiled, "You all have grown up quite a bit."

**Back to the Way They Were…**

As Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sara entered the village after their assessment, Kakashi commented, "My, my, how you guys have grown! You would have had the bells if Sara hadn't been helping me."

Sakura grumbled, "Quit reminding us..." She turned to Sara, "How did you learn all of those jutsu?"

"Master Kakashi, mainly," Sara answered, "But to keep up with you guys he made sure that I had several other teachers, including Lady Tsunade for one day."

"Really?" Sakura questioned.

Sara nodded, "I still have the bump on my head to prove it."

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, "So, do you think I've surpassed you?" He was grinning fiendishly.

"Not a chance, Naruto," Sakura stated.

Kakashi was more gracious, "Someday maybe, but not today. This old dog still has some new tricks…in fact, just the other day I came up with this amazing new jutsu…"

Just as he finished speaking, Naruto's stomach growled, "Hey! I still haven't had my Ichiraku ramen."

Sakura added, "Now that you mention it, I'm starving after last night's challenge.

Sara was waiting for Kakashi to say what his new jutsu was, while Kakashi was thinking, _I miss the cute little newbies who used to react with wonder at everything I said and did…_ He finally noticed Sara watching him, "I was somewhat bluffing…" He wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Liar," she grumbled as she shoved him slightly, "But that's fine, you have your secrets and I have mine."

"What secrets?" Kakashi wondered.

Meanwhile, Naruto whispered to Sakura, "Hey, I know, Kakashi-sensei can treat us!"

"Good idea!" Sakura said.

Kakashi heard them, "Sorry, I've got to go draw up and submit the platoon list with the new teams. Later, 'gators!" He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sara moaned, "How can he say such corny things!"

"He's blowing us off!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura added, "Probably to finish the rest of his new book most likely."

"What new book?" Sara asked.

Naruto answered, "I gave him the next book in the _Make-Out _series."

Sara moaned inwardly, _I'll have to sneak it from his room tonight! I really want to know what happens next in the series!_

Naruto turned his attention back to Sakura, "Well, we can still go to Ichiraku, kind of like a date."

"Does that mean you're buying?" Sakura said testily.

Naruto glanced dejectedly into his froggie. Sakura's attention was drawn to two chûnin walking through the crowd. Sakura shouted, "Shikamaru! Temari! Hey! Look who's here!" She pointed at Naruto.

Shikamaru's face broke into a huge smile, "Hey! Naruto!"

"Shikamaru!" Naruto said as he turned around.

Temari was shocked, _wait…that shorty…?_

Shikamaru smiled at Sara before asking Naruto, "Did you just get back?"

"Nah, yesterday," Naruto answered.

"Something's different about you," Shikamaru commented, "You seem smarter…more serious."

Sakura quickly stated, "Errnt! Wrong answer, please try again!"

"Oh, really?" Shikamaru questioned.

Naruto moaned, "Sakura!" He recovered quickly though, and he said slyly, "So are you two on a date too?" He was referring to Shikamaru and Temari.

"Are you crazy?" Shikamaru shouted, "I'm not a two-timer!"

Temari added, "Like I would ever? It's almost Chûnin Selection Exam time again. And while I've been acting as liaison between the Sand and Leaf…"

"I'm being forced to act as Exam proctor so…I was ordered to escort the Sand ambassador that's all."

Naruto turned around when he felt danger behind him, Sara's gaze was livid as she walked forward to whisper in his ear, "Ask a question like that again, and I'll kill you!" Naruto nodded vigorously.

"What are you going to do, Naruto?" Shikamaru questioned, missing the exchange between Sara and Naruto.

"Eh?" Naruto looked curiously at Shikamaru.

"You're the only one in our year," Shikamaru explained, "who isn't a chûnin."

It took a couple of seconds for that to sink in, "WHAT?" He turned to face Sakura, "You mean…you're a chûnin too, Sakura?"

She smiled victoriously, "Yup!"

Shikamaru gestured to Sara and Temari, "And just so you know, Neji, Kankuro, and these two ladies here are already jônin."

"No way!" Naruto shouted, "You're a jônin Bright Eyes?"

"I told you earlier that there was a difference in our ranks now," Sara muttered.

Naruto suddenly thought of something, "Gaara! What about Gaara?"

Temari answered, "Gaara is the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village."

Meanwhile, instead of writing up the platoon list, Kakashi was chatting with Jiraiya.

Jiraiya said to him, "The Sand agreed to immediately enter a state of emergency. They've already posted Black Ops at key points around the village. At this point, even I wouldn't be able to ride into the Sand undetected."

"So why has the Akatsuki started moving about so overtly? What do they seek?" Kakashi questioned.

"I still don't know…" Jiraiya answered, "Which is why I'm heading out again."

After Shikamaru, Temari, and Sakura had gone there separate ways, Sara said to Naruto, "Come on, I'll introduce you to some people."

"Can we please eat at Ichiraku first?" Naruto begged.

A mischievous glint flashed in Sara's eyes for an instant, but Naruto missed it, "Ichiraku closed a couple of years ago, apparently you were most of their business."

"NO!" Naruto cried, tears flowing down his face, "They had the best ramen in the world!"

Sara shrugged, "Yeah, sorry, I don't think you really want to eat anything but ramen." Naruto sniffled. "I'll introduce you to some of the people I've become friends with…and my two uncles."

"Okay," Naruto wiped his eyes.

Sara led the way to the Anbu Area first; she glared at the guard at the gate, who was sound asleep, "That explains so much…" She slipped her foot through the bars and yanked the Anbu's leg back.

"Wha?" the Anbu hauled himself off the ground and whipped around to face Sara, "Sara? I should have known…" He pulled off his mask, "So this is the famous Naruto," Ryo commented.

Sara nodded, "Naruto, this is Ryo. Ryo, Naruto."

"Nice to meet you…did you have to do that?" Ryo asked.

"Yes!" Sara whispered to Naruto, "The laziest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village next to Shikamaru."

"I heard that," Ryo grumbled.

A column of smoke appeared next to him to reveal Kai, who said sternly, "Didn't I wake you up fifteen minutes ago? And you were asleep when the previous He-!" Sara kicked him in a touchy spot, causing him to squeak.

Naruto questioned, "What's a previous He-?"

Ryo said quickly, "A previous He- is a ninja that has…"

Kenshin walked out of the building just then, he saw Sara and said, "Hey! You missed us at Tiégra's!"

"No, you two were late," Sara practically growled.

"Who would have thought that you'd actually be early?" Kenshin questioned, his gaze drifting to Naruto for a brief second, "You're usually three hours late as of recently."

"Bright Eyes? Who's this guy?" Naruto questioned.

Kenshin answered, "I'm Kenshin Nara, Head of the Anbu Black Ops." He gestured to Ryo, "And that's Ryo Morino, my second in command."

"Nara? Morino? Wow! Never thought I'd see a lazy Morino and a motivated Nara," he commented.

Kenshin muttered, "I see you know my cousin, Shikamaru."

"Yup, I'm Naruto Uzamaki!" Naruto introduced himself.

Kai said, having recovered, "I'm Kai Hatake, Sara's uncle."

"Wow! You like a lot like Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. Kai rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Naruto, let's go see my other uncle, Yusuke," Sara dragged Naruto away, before someone else let it slip that she had been the previous Head Anbu.

After several minutes of walking, they arrived at Practice Field Five, Naruto was about to ask Sara something, when a young voice said, "Yusuke-sensei, two people just entered our training area."

Naruto whispered, as who he assumed was Yusuke, approached them, "Bright Eyes are these kids-?"

"Handicapped?" Yusuke finished. "Yes, but they can still be great ninja."

Naruto looked embarrassed, but he soon noticed Yusuke's eyes, "Wow! You're blind! Ow!" Sara had smacked him in the back of the head.

"You must be Naruto," Yusuke said, smiling slightly, "Sara, as much as I would love to chat, I have a lesson going on."

"When has that ever stopped you?" One of his student's commented.

Yusuke sighed, "They know me so well…"

"We won't bother you any further, I just wanted you to meet, Naruto," she said.

Yusuke nodded, "Come around some other time, that way you can see just how good these kids really are." His eyes gleamed.

"Cool, I'd love to help!" Naruto said, trying to make up for his brashness.

Once they were far away from the training area, "You have no idea what you just signed up for," Sara commented.

"Oh well," Naruto sighed, "I still think it will be fun."

They walked in silence for several minutes. Naruto finally asked, "Bright Eyes…do you ever wish things could go back to how they were before Sasuke left?"

"Honestly? No," Sara said. "I mean, I wish Sasuke was back and all, but I've come a long way from being a ripe genin…and I really wouldn't want to go back to being that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Naruto muttered.

Just then, Iruka spotted the pair and he shouted, "Naruto! Want to go to Ichiraku?"

"What?" Naruto was confused for a brief second before he whirled to face Sara angrily, "Bright Eyes!" Sara wasn't next to him anymore. "BRRIIIIIGGGHTT EEEYYYEEESSS!" Naruto shouted in a voice that made Iruka proud.

**New Squad, First Mission**

The next morning, Naruto had gotten over his anger from Sara playing a trick on him, now he was wondering where she and Kakashi were. "Where the heck are they?"

"Who knows," Sakura grumbled.

"Who knows what?" Sara questioned from her new position in between Naruto and Sakura. They both jumped.

"Don't do that!" They yelled in perfect unison.

"Sorry!" Sara held up her hands to ward them off, "And I'm sorry I'm late, you wouldn't believe the traffic!" They both gave her a deadly glare.

"You're starting to sound like Kakashi-sensei," Naruto muttered darkly.

Sara said, "Well I do live with him, so something was bound to rub off."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "So where is he?"

"I don't know," Sara said shrugging, "I left the house before he was up."

Neither Naruto nor Sakura bothered to ask why she had been so late if she woke up so early. They turned their attention to Kakashi, who was walking towards them. Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison, "You're late!"

Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort, "Sorry, I was procrastinating on the new team's paperwork…"

"Today is the first day as a new team, you know," Naruto said angrily, "And you're not excited? Kakashi-sensei, you haven't changed at all!"

Sakura snapped, "Like you're one to talk, Naruto! So what if he's a little lackadaisical? That's just who he is."

Kakashi said silently to Sara, _"I'm not sure that was a compliment…"_ He glanced up at the sky as a hawk flew past overhead.

Sara had looked up as well and was wondering, _why is that hawk moving so fast?_

Several minutes later found them Team Kakashi standing in front of the Missions desk, and a PO'ed Tsunade as Naruto said, "Uh-uh! No way! We are NOT going on that mission!"

Tsunade had a look that said Naruto had better watch out, "You man…you do realize WHO you're speaking to like that…?"

Kakashi was nervous, _calm down, Naruto… I'm the one who will have to take the heat later if you don't…_

Iruka sighed from where he sat next to Tsunade, "Naruto…mentally, you haven't matured at all."

"S-so sorry, milady!" Sakura stuttered as she put Naruto into a head lock and whopped him in the head, "I'll speak to him later!" _I-Idiot! You have no idea how ferocious Lady Tsunade can be!_

Sara was watching Tsunade closely, _I've pushed her further then this…granted I wouldn't want her pushed past the point she's already at…_

As if in answer to Sara's thoughts, Naruto grumbled, "Old Man Third…he really knew his stuff."

_That did it…_ Sara thought as she sighed.

"Excuse me…?" Tsunade demanded, "What did you just say?"

"Will you quit it!" Sakura shouted at Naruto, trying to strangle him.

A voice sounded from outside the Missions room door, "Lady Fifth! T-terrible news!"

"Now what?" Tsunade demanded.

A black haired kunoichi said, "We've just received word that the Sand's Kazekage has been kidnapped by a member of the Akatsuki!" Everyone stared at her in shock.

Naruto recovered the quickest, _Gaara!...Those losers again huh?_

_So they're making their move, _Kakashi thought, as he was the next to recover from his shock.

_Which member of the Akatsuki?_ Sara wondered, having recovered as well, _was it one of the ones we've met…or someone we've never even seen before?_

Tsunade sighed and pulled away the paper she would have handed to Kakashi, "Team Kakashi…I hereby amend you mission. You will leave immediately for the Sand and assess the situation and then report back immediately! Afterward, you will follow Sand's orders and provide them whatever assistance they require!"

Within minutes, Team Kakashi were standing just outside the gates, ready to leave.

Naruto said, "Well then, we're off!"

"I'll return, Lady Tsunade," Sakura said as saluted the Hokage.

"I hope so," Tsunade said.

"Good luck," Iruka said, mainly to Naruto.

"Thank you!" Naruto said turning around.

Tsunade added as an afterthought, "Kakashi. Sara. Watch out for both of them."

"Yes, ma'am," they both said, nodding.

"We're not little kids," Naruto objected.

Sakura snapped, "But they are the higher ranking ninja so zip it!"

"Bah!" Naruto turned around to leave, but stopped mid-turn.

"Hey!" Jiraiya said, as he dropped out of nowhere, "Naruto, you heading out on a mission?"

"Yup!" Naruto said grinning.

"Oh, but before that…" Jiraiya said, turning to Tsunade, "Bad news…the Kazekage's been…"

"I know," Tsunade said, interrupting him. "I'm about to send Team Kakashi to the Sand."

Jiraiya walked up to Tsunade and whispered, "Is that wise? Knowing Naruto's relationship with the Akatsuki?" He didn't wait for Tsunade to answer, instead he gestured to Naruto, "Naruto, c'mere!" Once Naruto was close enough he said, "Don't push it if it comes to a fight against the Akatsuki, you hear me?"

"Hey, they're the ones who've got business with me," Naruto said, "So I'm gonna meet them on _my_ terms!" Kakashi listened to the conversation intently.

Sara's pupils narrowed, _one foot out of line and I'll pin you to a tree! Teamwork is still the main thing here, and listening to Master Kakashi's orders…I'm not going to lose anybody close to me on this mission, not after we've just gotten together after two years…_

She had missed a lot of what Jiraiya had said as he finished, "…Your quick temper's still your Achilles heel." Naruto gnashed his teeth, trying to control his temper, "Naruto, look…I think you know this already but, just don't use that jutsu…"

"I know…" Naruto muttered.

Jiraiya turned to Kakashi, "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him go too crazy. I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry," he pulled Sara against his side, "Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll be able to handle him."

Jiraiya laughed, "A Chûnin won't be able to handle him."

"I'm a Jônin you fat toad," Sara practically growled.

"Well then I've got nothing to worry about," Jiraiya quickly said.

Naruto had already begun to head out, "Master Kakashi, Sakura, Bright Eyes! Let's go!

"H-hey! Wait up!" Sakura said as she jogged to catch up.

Sara rolled her eyes before she set off after her two teammates.

Kakashi looked slightly embarrassed as he waved, "Well, then."

"Hoo boy…" Jiraiya muttered.

Team Kakashi leapt through the trees, heading as quickly as they could towards the Sand Village, when Sakura called out to a figure ahead of them, "Temari!"

Temari stopped and waited for the Leaf Village ninja to catch up with her.

**To the Sand!**

"What? Gaara?" Temari exclaimed after the Team Kakashi had explained where they were going and why. She glanced to the side, lost in her own memories for a brief second, "I knew something felt wrong."

Kakashi said, "It's going to take three days to get to the Sand…we'd better hurry."

"Right," Temari said, turning around, "Let's go!"

Naruto was lost in his memories of Itachi and Kisame along with why the Akatsuki were after him. Focusing his chakra, he propelled himself forward putting several feet between himself and the others.

Sara sped up to catch up with him as Kakashi shouted after Naruto, "Naruto! No matter how much of a hurry we're in, we can't break formation. Calm down! Didn't Lord Jiraiya just lecture you on controlling your temper?"

"I hate this," Naruto growled, apparently unaware of Sara, though he kept several feet between himself and her, "I know why those guys want Gaara and me…! Bright Eyes, you already know… Sakura…now you know too, don't you…?"

"I don't like it," Naruto said, never looking back at the rest of the squad, "The Nine-Tailed Fox spirit sealed inside me… Bright Eyes, Gaara, and me…we're carrying monsters inside of us, but they only want Gaara's and mine…"

"I'd trade places with you any day," Sara said quietly, finally having caught up with Naruto.

"I know you would, Bright Eyes…" Naruto's gaze softened for a brief second, "But it's still awful! They only see us as monsters! I don't like the way they look at us."

Sakura, Naruto, and Sara became brooding each thinking of how demon hosts were treated.

Coming out of his thoughts, "Gaara, Bright Eyes, and I had the same kind of lonely life, but it was worse for him, because he didn't have a friend to help him, and he was alone much longer.

Naruto thought of how he had met so many people while Gaara had been alone.

Sara looked at Naruto, "But Gaara did manage to come out of the darkness of his loneliness, I went on several missions with him, and now he's Kazekage, he's not alone anymore."

"It's not fair!" Naruto shouted, "The Akatsuki have now targeted him just like they targeted me! Why should his life be so full of misery? Why is it always him?" He glared at Kakashi, "You wanna know why I can't calm down? That's why! Whatever happens when we get to the Sand…I can't just stand back and do nothing! I have to be there for him! I have to save him!"

Temari's eyes widened in shock, but then became sad, _Naruto Uzamaki…thank you…_

Sara said, "That may be Naruto, but exhausting yourself isn't going to help Gaara, nor is putting the rest of the squad in danger, so slow down…"

With reluctance, Naruto slowed down gradually, eventually being back in his original spot in the squad's formation.

On the third day, as they got nearer and nearer to the Sand Village, Sakura asked out of the blue, "You met him once didn't you…?" Both Naruto and Sara looked back at her, utterly perplexed. "Itachi Uchiha…and he's after you, Naruto." Kakashi was slightly startled that Sakura knew about Itachi Uchiha and his role in the Akatsuki, but he kept quiet. "You know I haven't been just training these past two and a half years. I secretly read Lady Tsunade's reports and snuck outside the village to snoop around as much as I could." Her mind drifted to memories of Sasuke and how hell bent he had been on killing his older brother. "The person Sasuke keeps saying he wants to kill is his older brother, Itachi, right? The one that's a member of the Akatsuki? That's why Sasuke is with Orochimaru right now, trying to gain more power… But Orochimaru wants Sasuke's body right? And we only have about half a year left until he can transfer again."

_Sakura's been busy,_ Sara thought glancing at Kakashi.

Naruto was beyond surprised now, _so Sakura knows about that too?_

Sakura continued, not noticing the looks of her companions, "And Orochimaru was once a member of the Akatsuki as well… What I'm trying to say is this." Everyone stared at her, wondering what else she could possibly say, "The closer we get to information about Orochimaru. And from there closer to Sasuke. Time is running out, we've only got half a year left to find Sasuke…"

"Yup!" Naruto said, looking ahead once again.

Sara nodded in agreement, "You pretty much summed it up."

As Sakura continued to follow behind them her thoughts mainly on her teammates, _After that we can go after Itachi Uchiha, Naruto's worst enemy…the one who gave Sara her scar over her left eye…and the one who's tormented Sasuke all these years. _Her fist clenched, _and this time…I'll protect them all!_

Within the hour they arrived at the Sand Village; Naruto, Sakura, & Temari were breathing heavily, while Sara and Kakashi didn't seem to be fazed.

A Sand Village shinobi said to them, "So you see, first Lord Kazekage was taken, then Lord Kankuro chased after them but was gravely wounded."

This was news to them; Temari exclaimed, "What? Kankuro too?"

The Sand shinobi nodded, "Yes, and furthermore, he was poisoned…but we can't identify it for an antidote…they say he only has half a day left…"

"Hurry, Temari," Sakura said, stepping forward, her gaze hardening, "I'll examine him!"

Temari led the way through the Sand Village to the hospital. Dashing through the doorway, Sakura and Temari rushed in while Kakashi, Naruto, and Sara followed at a slightly slower pace.

Several people stood around Kankuro's bed, including an old man and woman. The old woman turned to see who had entered the room, her expression became one of shock, "The White Fang of Konoha!" She lunged at Kakashi.

Kakashi looked at the woman at the sound of his name, but he wasn't prepared for her attack.

Sara and Naruto, however, were ready, Sara moved towards Naruto, ducking low so he could block the old woman's attack better. Naruto slid over Sara's back and blocked the two punches that the old woman had attempted.

The old woman slid away from Naruto, while Sara demanded, straightening up, "Why the blazes are you attacking, Master Kakashi?"

"Yeah! You shriveled up prune!" Naruto couldn't resist adding. _The old one…she's good! But she's not good enough to beat our teamwork! It's as if Bright Eyes and I were never apart, it was so effortless…!_

The old woman stared at Kakashi with extreme hatred, "That day, how dare you! Despicable, White Fang! Finally, today I shall collect vengeance for my son!"

Now that he knew what was going on, Kakashi tried to defend himself, "Oh! Wait! I'm not…!"

"Silence!" The old woman screeched, cutting him off mid sentence.

Before she could try to attack Kakashi again, the old man stepped in front of her, "Look closely, sis… He looks just like him but that's not White Fang."

"Eh?" The old woman looked bewildered and she squinted at Kakashi for several seconds. Without warning she laughed, "Oh, well! Never mind!"

Kakashi sighed in relief while Sara silently said, _"'I wear this mask so no will recognize me as the White Fang's son.' Didn't you think your hair would be a giveaway?" _

_"Honestly? No."_ Kakashi answered, smiling under his mask.

Sakura turned around to face everyone, missing the silent exchange, "Now, can we just focus on Kankuro?"

"Please!" Temari said, sounding a tad bit angry.

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's right shoulder and Sara's left, "Let's get out of the way; we're not needed in here right now." Naruto and Sara nodded as they followed him out into the hallway, leaving Sakura to her work.

Not knowing that the rest of her teammates had left the room, Sakura pressed one hand to Kankuro's right side, her left hand was placed on his chest, but she soon drew it away slowly, withdrawing some of the poison from Kankuro's system and placing it in a solution before repeating the process again.

Out in the hallway, Naruto asked, looking at Kakashi, "Who was it that that old hag confused you with…the White Fang of Konoha she said…who was he?"

Kakashi was silent for several seconds, but he finally answered, "A very powerful shinobi of his team…and he was also my father."

"Whoa! Really?" Naruto asked, hoping for a story to pass the time.

Kakashi wasn't about to tell Naruto anything more, he turned to Sara and said, "So, what do you think of the situation?"

"Unless something unexpected turns up it will be hard for our dogs to track the scent of Gaara's kidnappers, and it will be even harder to track Gaara's scent," she answered truthfully.

Naruto stared at her in shock, "We can't give up!"

"Who said anything about giving up?" Sara demanded, "I certainly didn't! I'm just saying that it will be hard…but that's what makes a mission interesting!"

Naruto sighed in relief as the door to Kankuro's hospital room opened and Sakura said, "He's no longer in any immediate danger." Kakashi, Naruto, and Sara followed her back into the room, "But he's not completely out of the woods yet. I still need to neutralize the minute traces of toxins that remain in his system. So someone's going to have to run and fetch me some medical supplies."

Naruto was amazed, _Sakura…you're awesome!_

_Training with Lady Tsunade has definitely made her a better ninja, _Sara thought, admiring her teammate's newfound authority.

The old woman commented, "You remind me of that slug lass…I never imagined a girl like you would come."

Feeling flattered, "Yes, well, Lady Tsunade was the one who ordered me here. She is my mentor, you know!"

The old woman looked reminiscent for a minute, and the old man commented, "Sis…time flows by…"

Naruto was all keyed up now, "All right! But we can't rest too long! We gotta go after the Akatsuki NOW!"

**Biju & Elementals**

While Sakura was up in the greenhouse, getting herbs to help Kankuro, Naruto was stretching, "As soon as Sakura finishes we move out!"

"Rein it in a bit, Naruto," Kakashi said. He turned to Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari's teacher, Baki, "What's happening with the pursuit of the Akatsuki?"

"Kankuro went solo…" He glanced at Kankuro, "and ended up like this. That's it."

"So they're long gone?" Kakashi questioned.

He lowered his gaze, "Well…yeah."

Kakashi said silently to Sara, glancing her way, _"I think I'll have my dogs track their scent, they've had more experience."_

_"That's fine,"_ Sara answered, _"My dogs get the next one though!"_

"Take me to where Kankuro fought," Kakashi said, focusing on the Sand shinobi again, "I must track them, if even a trace of their scent remains…"

"No need for that…" A weak voice said from the hospital bed. Everyone turned to see Kankuro sitting up in bed, "There were two of them… One has Gaara. All you have to do is follow Gaara's scent… Even if they split up, the Crow tore a piece of the other one's clothes off."

Smirking under his mask, "Turning things to his advantage…like a true Sand ninja."

Temari rushed to her brother's side, "Kankuro, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I feel a little better," Kankuro answered. His gaze rested on Naruto for a few seconds before going to Sara.

Sara and Naruto said in almost perfect unison, "Hey…"

"Kankuro," The old woman questioned, "are you sure one of them was Sasori?"

"Granny Chiyo and Grampa Ebizo?" He sounded a tad confused and surprised.

The old man, Grampa Ebizo, pressed, "Is it true, Kankuro?"

"Yeah," Kankuro answered, "he called himself Sasori of the Red Sand."

"Sasori of the Red Sand?" Kakashi questioned, "You know more about the Akatsuki. Tell me…"

"I chased after them," Kankuro began, "when they turned to confront me, one of them took off with Gaara, so I summoned my three puppets, just when Crow was about to catch the guy who had Gaara, Sasori caught him with a puppet-like tail…his moves were like lightning, and he easily destroyed my puppets, and he hit me with that tail, which I now know, was covered in poison. That's about the time he informed me that he was Sasori of the Red Sand… When he was about to finish me off I managed to get a piece of cloth from his clothes, just in case… He left after that, figuring the poison would finish me off."

Sakura returned with a medicine for Kankuro, just as he finished talking. She walked up to him and helped him to drink the medicine. When Kankuro choked a bit on the medicine, Sakura said, "Drink it all." When he had finished drinking she said, "That should do it. All he needs now is to keep still until the numbness goes away. Lie down and take it easy."

Naruto shouldered his pack, "C'mon! Let's get out of here!"

Kankuro said suddenly, "Naruto Uzamaki…please save my brother."

"Of course," Naruto grinned, "I'm going to be Hokage! For now, the Kazekage can just owe me one!"

As the Leaf shinobi were starting to leave the Sand Village, Baki said, "Wait for us. We'll be your backup…"

"You will…?" Kakashi questioned.

Temari asserted, "We'll go!"

"Temari, you stay to aid border security," a voice said from the roof of the hospital. Everyone looked up to see the old woman, Granny Chiyo.

"But…Granny Chiyo!" Temari tried to argue.

Baki finished for Temari, "It seems inappropriate for…"

"Don't treat me like a fossil!" Granny Chiyo said as she leaped off the roof.

Naruto exclaimed, "She jumped!"

Naruto and Sakura flinched away from Granny Chiyo, while Sara looked annoyed, and Kakashi was at a loss for words.

Granny Chiyo cackled, "It's been so long since I've taken care of my adorable grandchild."

"I guess if you insist," Kakashi finally said, slicing his thumb, "Summoning Jutsu!" Pakkun appeared and looked questioningly at Kakashi, "Lady Hokage would have sent us backup by now so I want you to find them. I'm assuming she would have sent Guy's team since they were due back soon after we left."

"Right," Pakkun said, leaping away in a streak of brown fur.

Sara commented, "Now whenever we want to leave, otherwise Naruto might wear a hole in the ground from his pacing."

Sure enough, Naruto was pacing, raring to go. He demanded, "Can we go already? We're wasting time!"

"Let's go," Kakashi said, slightly exasperated.

After several minutes of leaping through the trees, Sakura said, "Hey, Naruto! Can I ask you something?" Naruto was baffled. "How long have you been a target of the Akatsuki?"

Naruto's expression darkened as he thought of Kisame and Itachi, "How should I know?"

"Two Akatsuki members came to the Leaf Village looking for Naruto," Kakashi started, "about three years ago… Now they're back. But I'm still not sure what they want exactly."

"I want to know why they waited three years," Sara said, joining the conversation.

Kakashi landed on a boulder, and leapt forward again before answering, "They probably couldn't do anything, not that they just didn't… After all, Naruto was with Lord Jiraiya..."

"No," Granny Chiyo said, joining in, "According to my information it seems there were other reasons. Extracting Biju sealed in a human body requires some preparation. They needed time."

"What's a Biju?" Sakura asked.

"**What**?" Granny Chiyo exclaimed, "You're a pupil of Tsunade's but don't know that?"

Kakashi said casually, "In the Leaf, information about the Kyubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is absolutely top secret."

"Well…that's not surprising," Granny Chiyo conceded. She answered Sakura's question, "Biju are tailed beast spirits. From long ago, there was Ichibi, the one-tailed spirit of the Sand. Then Shukaku, which was sealed in Gaara."

"Ichibi…?" Sakura verified, "So there are other demonic beasts other then Phoenix and the Kyubi?"

"Yes, nine total, but Phoenix is not amongst them," Granny Chiyo said.

Sara came to a dead stop, "What? But then what is Phoenix?"

"I'll get to that," Granny Chiyo said, staring at Sara oddly. "First the Biju…" Sara started leaping from branch to branch again with Kakashi keeping pace with her, his gaze anxious. "Biju are distinct in character, each of them has a different number of tails… Ichibi means one tail, Nibi is two…up to Kyubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox. Their names represent the number of tails they have." She paused for a brief second, "Biju are huge concentrations of chakra. During the era of Great War, every nation's hidden village competed for control of them for military purposes. But their power is beyond human understanding and no one could control them…I don't know the Akatsuki's intentions…but that kind of power is far too dangerous for them to get ahold of. Well…in peace times, things have changed. I heard that Biju have spread and exist all over the world now…"

"So what is Phoenix?" Sara questioned after a few seconds of silence from Granny Chiyo.

Granny Chiyo looked at her and asked, "Why are you so curious?"

Sara swallowed past the lump in her throat, anticipating Granny Chiyo's reaction, as she was about to speak, Kakashi said quietly, "Phoenix was sealed inside her body when she was a baby…what seal was used is still unknown."

Nodding, Granny Chiyo said, "Phoenix is one of the five Elementals, among them the water dragon, the wind horse, the earth wolf, and the lightning tiger; Phoenix, the fire bird, along with the water dragon and lightning tiger, they are the three that are most commonly seen. The wind horse and earth wolf are more elusive… Granted, I've never heard of any other cases of an Elemental being sealed inside a human…they are very powerful creatures."

"Are they as strong as the tailed-beasts?" Naruto questioned out of sheer curiosity.

Granny Chiyo answered, "They are stronger then eight of the tailed-beasts, however, due to being vain and the excessive use of their chakras, by surrounding themselves within their own element, they fall short of being as strong as the Nine-Tailed Fox… That being said, if one were ever to face the Fox, if push came to shove, the Elemental would win out by ridding itself of it's cloak of fire, earth, water, wind, or lightning, depending on the Elemental, and would take down the Fox with ease."

Naruto and Sara's eyes were wide with wonder at what they had heard. Sara thought, _you here that Phoenix? If you weren't so vain you could beat the Nine-Tailed Fox!_ Phoenix screeched angrily in response.

_Whoa! Bright Eyes has just as strong a creature sealed inside of her as I do!_ Naruto thought, _That means we're kind of in the same league!_

Sakura gazed at her teammates in wonder, _they both harbor such powerful creatures and yet…they manage to contain them._

_I need to do more research on these Elementals,_ Kakashi thought, gazing at Sara. He turned his gaze back to the front and shouted, "Stop everyone!"

Naruto and Sara's eyes widened in shock; standing before them was a familiar member of the Akatsuki…Itachi Uchiha.

**The Power of Itachi!**

Sakura looked between the Akatsuki member and Kakashi, Sara, and Naruto, "Who?"

"So soon…?" Kakashi was still incredulous at meeting opposition so early in their rescue mission.

Granny Chiyo did not know who the Akatsuki member was, but she recognized the eyes, "He's…those eyes…"

Naruto started to answer Sakura's question, "He's Itachi…"

"Uchiha," Sara finished, her pupils now slits, having activated her Devil's Eyes

_He's Itachi Uchiha?_ Sakura was utterly bewildered.

"Itachi," Granny Chiyo commented, "yes, he's the one that annihilated his entire clan."

Itachi said, "Long time no see, Kakashi…Sara…Naruto."

Sakura was still recovering from learning that the Akatsuki member was Itachi, _he has the Sharingan…same as Sasuke…! This guy…he's caused Sasuke, Naruto, and Sara so much pain…_

"Who do you think you are?" Naruto demanded, "You come for me, injure Bright Eyes, and kidnap Gaara…I'm gonna take you out!"

Itachi moved his hand slightly and Kakashi swung out his arm, blocking Naruto's path, "Nobody look directly into his eyes…it's dangerous!"

Sakura asked, "Then what are we supposed to do?"

"You'll read his movements," Sara stated, remembering her training sessions with Guy, "by simply watching his body and footwork."

Sakura stared at her in surprise. Kakashi added, "Itachi's genjutsu is an ocular jutsu. Basically, he seizes his target with his vision."

"You'll be all right so long as your eyes don't meet his," Sara said, trying to ease the tension of her teammates.

Sakura looked at Itachi, avoiding his eyes, but her gaze steadily rose until she had to look away, "This is NOT going to be easy."

Sara joked, "All else fails, you can always watch my back along with Master Kakashi's." Sakura wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or relieved.

Granny Chiyo murmured, "The Uchiha Clan…I haven't faced the Sharingan in years." She said in a louder voice, "But you needn't be afraid. Several other tactics can handle ocular jutsu."

"Well," Naruto demanded, "What do we do?"

"If it's one on one, you run," Granny Chiyo stated in a matter of fact tone, "If it's tow on one, get his back."

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned as he scratched his head, confused.

Granny Chiyo elaborated, "If it's two on one…even if one falls under the genjutsu…they can be released if the other gets behind the enemy and lands a hit. If that doesn't work, you can free your comrade by giving them a whack too. In other words, when you are two or more, one acts as a decoy…then the others attack continuously from the Sharingan's blind spot."

"I get it!" Sakura said.

Naruto grinned, "There's some old age wisdom for you!"

Kakashi and Sara weren't so thrilled. Kakashi said, "If it's a regular genjutsu, those tactics would work fine…in this guy's case, it's a little more troublesome."

"What?" Granny Chiyo exclaimed.

"He uses Mangekyo Sharingan," Kakashi explained, "it's more powerful than the original Sharingan. If you're caught by his ocular jutsu, he has you instantly. It has nothing to do with whether you can defeat genjutsu or not."

"What a nuisance," Granny Chiyo grumbled, "Who is he…?"

Itachi said, "Well done, Kakashi. You've learned from experiencing Tsukuyomi, the Nightmare Realm, only once."

Kakashi was on a roll, "That's not all…After using that ocular jutsu, you were spent and tried to wrap things up and leave." He remembered back to his fight with Itachi three years ago, recalling every detail perfectly, "That jutsu requires a considerable amount of chakra. And, it seems there's quite a risk to your eyes too, Itachi."

Itachi congratulated Kakashi, "After only one fight…that's a pretty good analysis."

"Itachi," Kakashi pushed his headband up, exposing his own Sharingan, "how much of your eyesight have you lost?"

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise for a brief second, but he quickly recovered his composure, "Kakashi, are you…?"

Kakashi gazed steadily at Itachi, "Anyway! I dropped my guard last time." This statement surprised not only Naruto and Sakura, but Sara as well. "But I learn quickly. I don't make the same mistakes twice."

This statement brought grins to Naruto and Sara's faces. Naruto gestured to himself and Sara, "And if you think we're the same as before, you're making a big mistake!"

Kakashi said, "I'll take care of him, Naruto."

Naruto and Sara both gave Kakashi a sour expression, Sara said, sarcastically, "Is this more of that non-fighting teamwork again? Because that worked so well last time!"

"No," Kakashi answered, "Naruto, this time I'll need you for backup, and Sara…I'll need you to help me out a bit." He smiled under his mask, "I'd like to send you all on ahead but…I don't think I can take him alone." Naruto and Sara grinned mischievously after he said that.

For several seconds, the rescue squad stood facing Itachi, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Itachi moved his right hand, and pointed at Naruto, "It's about time for you to come with me…Naruto."

Naruto gritted his teeth in anger, but before he could react, Kakashi shot forward, Sara on his heels, "Sara and I will go, you stay back!"

Kakashi aimed a punch at Itachi's face, but another Itachi dashed towards Naruto.

Sara skidded to a halt and kicked Itachi, who disappeared in a puff of smoke, but another clone had managed to get around her. _Fuck!_ She thought angrily, whipping around.

Naruto came rushing at the on coming clone with his Rasengan, _Rasengan! _The jutsu hit Itachi dead on, and the clone disappeared. When the smoke from the clone dissipated, Naruto found his teammates all lying unconscious around him. _What?_ His teammates started to stir, "Sa-Sakura…?" Sakura stood along with Granny Chiyo, but their forms changed into Itachi. Naruto turned hopefully to Sara and Kakashi who had begun to rise, but they too changed into Itachi.

Meanwhile, Sara turned to look at Naruto, wondering why he had randomly shot off his Rasengan. She exchanged a quick glance with Sakura before focusing on Itachi again, as Kakashi and he were eye to eye.

Naruto meanwhile, was still stuck in the genjutsu; he threw two kunai at two of the Itachi's, and fired off two more at the remaining two. As soon as the kunai struck the Itachi clones, they dispersed into ravens. Naruto stared, horror stricken at the flying birds in front of him. Some of the ravens soon converged into the upper part of Itachi.

"Why?" Naruto wondered, "I didn't even look at his eyes! Argh! How'd he get me?"

The genjutsu Itachi said, "My eyes aren't my only way of releasing genjutsu. I can do it with just this finger." He moved his index finger on his right hand, just like he had done earlier. Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration. "Don't worry," Itachi continued, "I won't use Mangekyo Sharingan…or to be more precise, I can't use it right now…" Naruto looked worried. "Never mind, it's time to put you to sleep."

Naruto braced himself and desperately tried to remember what Jiraiya had told him about releasing genjutsu, _Think! What did Pervy Sage say? Something with chakra…I got it! I have to stop my chakra flow as much as possible, or make it more intense…otherwise Sakura or Bright Eyes had better touch me and send a bit of their own chakra into my system to help me out!_ He clapped his hands together and began to intensify how much chakra was flowing through his system, "Haaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Not enough," Itachi said as the ravens flew at him, condensing into shuriken that cut his and imbedded themselves in his body.

He gritted his teeth, _it's just genjutsu…I'll break it! _He looked in horror at his cheek as it started to peel away to reveal gray skin, and slowly half of his face turned into Sasuke.

His right hand moved of its own volition and began to strangle him, Sasuke said to him, I failed to kill you before."

Naruto thought of how Sasuke had indeed tried to kill him only three years ago. He glanced down at his stomach nervously as something began to push through his jacket, a something with pink hair.

Sakura's angry face stared up at him, "Why didn't you stop Sasuke? I believed you…"

Naruto was starting to panic, he started as his left shoulder started to move and twist into Kakashi's face. Kakashi stared at from his shoulder, "You couldn't protect your comrades. I expected a lot from you…what a disappointment."

Gaara's eye appeared on his hand, "It's always you that comes ahead…only you achieve happiness…"

Gasping for breath as these things were said to him, all of the worries in the back of his mind about what the others were thinking, thrown right in his face, he was afraid of what Sara would say if she appeared. Tears filled in his eyes, and he closed them, trying to block out everything. He opened them wide in shock as he felt two different chakras flow into him.

Kakashi leapt away from Itachi and slid to a stop where Sara was standing, ready, "You okay, Naruto?"

Naruto stared blankly ahead, Sakura reassured him, "It was genjutsu…you're okay now."

"It seems ocular jutsu isn't all he has," Granny Chiyo commented.

Naruto's gaze hardened towards Itachi. Kakashi said, "It's time. Get ready, Naruto."

Sakura smacked his cheek as he was still staring off into space, "Hey! Pull yourself together!" Naruto glanced at her, still in shock from his genjutsu experience.

Kakashi said, "Naruto. Sara and I will show you how to handle him." Naruto's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly readied himself.

Itachi started making hand signs, and Sara recognized it instantly. She leapt in front of Kakashi, already starting to weave the same exact signs as Itachi, _Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!_ A huge blast of flame erupted from her mouth the same time as Itachi finished his jutsu. Sara wasn't surprised when Itachi's fireball overpowered hers but as she used an Earth Style to slip underground she thought, _there was something wrong with his Fireball Jutsu just now…_

Naruto grinned when he saw two holes in the ground where Kakashi and Sara had been standing.

Itachi pulled back as Kakashi erupted out of the ground in front of him, barely missing Itachi's chin. Itachi grabbed his arm, just as Sara erupted out of the ground, trying to kick Itachi. Itachi ducked, and went to slug Kakashi, who ducked, _Fireball technique…but something's not right…_ Itachi grabbed the back of Kakashi's head and forced Kakashi to look at him.

Kakashi found himself on a plateau, but he was paper thin…literally, he looked down in shock as his legs began to burn. He looked up and glared at Itachi as the flames reached his torso.

Itachi commended him, "Well done…you're skilled in jutsu. When you hid yourself with Earth Style…it took me a while to tell." Back in reality, Itachi said, "My genjutsu doesn't affect you… This is a shadow clone…"

Kakashi hauled himself out of the ground and shouted, "Naruto! Attack him and my shadow clone!"

Sara leapt from behind Itachi so she wouldn't be caught in any jutsu of Naruto charged forward with a clone, "I'm on it!"

Itachi turned to Naruto, looking shocked as Naruto hit him with a giant Rasengan, _Odama Rasengan! Giant Spiral Sphere!_ A crater formed in the ground as the jutsu hit Itachi.

"W-wow!" Sakura stuttered.

_Oh! This kid,_ Granny Chiyo was amazed at the strength of the Rasengan.

Naruto was bewildered as Itachi smiled as he was blown backward. Sara was the first to investigate Itachi's body when the jutsu finally stopped. She glanced back at the others and said, "You guys are not going to believe this…"

Naruto practically growled in frustration as he gazed down at the body, while Granny Chiyo said, sounding shocked, "Th-this is…"

"Their jutsu or something…" Sakura said in disgust."

Sara stated, "There was something wrong with his Fireball Jutsu, I guess that should have tipped me off right away that this guy wasn't the real Itachi."

"I noticed the same thing," Kakashi said, proud that Sara had caught that detail.

"What's going on?" Naruto finally asked.

"He's…" Granny Chiyo seemed unable to finish a sentence.

"You know him?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes," she answered, "Yura…he's a jônin from our village."

"Hidden Sand?" Kakashi mused, "How can that be?"

"I don't know either," Granny Chiyo said, sounding tired.

Sakura suggested, "Maybe he was an Akatsuki spy…"

"Can't be," Granny Chiyo said immediately, "He served four years at the highest levels."

"Impersonating Itachi with the Art of Transformation?" Naruto guessed.

"No," Sara said, "This jutsu is way stronger then that. The Fireball Jutsu he used was definitely real, just not as powerful."

Kakashi nodded, once again feeling proud of Sara, "Exactly, the real Itachi is at the Akatsuki lair…This replica was to slow us down and gather intelligence on us… They're good."

**Jinchûriki **

They were bewildered at the strength of Itachi, and Sakura glanced at Naruto, _Naruto…since we've been apart…you…you took on guys like this?_

Granny Chiyo said, "Yes…it's clear they were trying to buy time. There's no doubt they've already started extracting the Biju!" Sakura, Naruto, and Sara all stared at her in confusion, "Presumably, they're trying to create a new Jinchûriki with the one-tailed Shukaku."

"Then there's no time to lose," Kakashi said, looking worried, "We have to hurry to rescue Gaara."

"Yes," Granny Chiyo nodded in agreement.

"Jinchûriki?" Sakura questioned." Kakashi looked at his students, worry in his eyes, but he didn't try to stop Granny Chiyo from explaining.

"As I explained," Granny Chiyo said slowly, "Biju have super human powers, and each country tried to use them for military purposes… If you can control the Jinchûriki, you can control the Biju he is hosting."

Sakura argued, "But you said no one could control such power…"

"No one could in the end," she answered, "But at one time people did try to control them…by sealing Biju in humans." Sakura, Naruto, and Sara's eyes widened in shock, "In that way people tried to control the Biju's extreme powers." Naruto looked down at his stomach, and placed his left hand over the place where the seal was. "And people in whom Biju were sealed, like Gaara, are called… Jinchûriki… A Jinchûriki is capable of incredible power by resonating with their Biju. Including Gaara, there have been three Jinchûriki in the Sand's history."

Sakura asked, after a few seconds of silence, "Using those Jinchûriki…people have waged war over and over again right?"

"Yes."

"But then…!" Sakura demanded, "What about the people that were made into Jinchûriki…" She glanced at her teammates, though mainly Naruto, "What can be done to pull the Biju out?"

Naruto stared at her in shock, as Granny Chiyo answered, "Removing a Biju requires a sealing jutsu with power that is momentarily equal to that of the Biju…and quite a bit of time too. But once the Biju is removed the Jinchûriki…"

Sakura remembered their earlier conversation about Biju and she whispered, "Oh, no…!"

"Yes…when the Biju is removed the Jinchûriki…dies… Both of the Sand's other Jinchûriki I just mentioned died because Shukaku was removed." Sakura's eyes filled with tears.

Kakashi asked quietly, thinking of Sara, "Do you think the same would happen to someone who had an Elemental removed from them?"

"Not much is known about the Elementals, and as I said earlier, I've never heard of another case of an Elemental being sealed within a human," Granny Chiyo said, "But I can imagine the result would be the same." She saw Kakashi glance at Sara, and she could tell he cared for her so she added, "But…perhaps things are different with Elementals, perhaps the host would live…we'll probably never know."

Sakura choked back a sob as she looked between Naruto and Sara, _I could lose both of them if…if their monsters were removed from them!_

Naruto said, his back to Sakura, "Always quick to cry, Sakura. Don't worry," he turned to face her, a grin on his face, "I'm gonna save Gaara!"

Sakura was shocked, "I…! Naruto…it's you and Sara I'm…"

"We'd better hurry!" Naruto said, cutting her off. He moved his shoulder strap and walked away.

_Naruto…_ Sakura thought, staring after him. A hand touched her shoulder, and she turned to see Sara standing next to her.

"Naruto and I have accepted what we are, who we are, and what we carry within us…it's just hitting him hard that neither of us will ever be 'normal'," Sara said, walking after Naruto.

"But, Sara, if someone ever tried to remove the Nine-Tailed Fox or Phoenix you'd…" Sakura said.

Sara cut her off, "Naruto's right, we'd better hurry."

Sakura stared after the pair, and watched as Sara caught up with Naruto. Neither one of them turned to look at the other, but the tenseness in both of their shoulders slowly relaxed. _Naruto…Sara…_

Kakashi said, walking past her, Granny Chiyo following him, "They're stronger then they look, but it's still hard for them to think about dying when they're so young, and still have much to give." Granny Chiyo nodded in agreement. Sakura sighed, adjusting her pack before following.

That night, after they had traveled further and found a clearing to rest for a few minutes; Naruto and Sakura were asleep, blankets spread over them, while Kakashi sat at the base of a tree, absentmindedly stroking Sara's shoulder, Sara's head was in his lap.

Granny Chiyo gazed at the squad, first at Sakura, who so reminded her of herself, then at Naruto, who brought back memories of a young Sasori. She then turned her attention to Kakashi and Sara, she watched them for several seconds before stating, "You care about her don't you."

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed, knowing that Granny Chiyo would not be a threat.

Granny Chiyo nodded sagely, "It's obvious that she admires you very much…you're both alike in many ways."

"And different in many others," Kakashi said smiling.

Granny Chiyo laughed, "Yes, but that is probably for the better."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, and allowed several minutes of silence to span between them. Finally he said, shaking Sara's shoulder, "That's enough break time. We have to get going."

"Yes," Granny Chiyo agreed standing up.

Sara sat up groggily, while Kakashi stood and began to wake Sakura and Naruto, who were as groggy as Sara.

Kakashi said, "Let's get going you three."

Sara quickly got her pack while Naruto and Sakura hurriedly packed their blankets and pillows. When everyone was ready they set out again.

**Arrival**

Flinging themselves from branch to branch, they moved as fast as possible towards the Akatsuki's lair. Naruto began to think of the differences in his life's and Gaara's and he gritted his teeth, _I've had people who have trusted me and believed in me while he had nobody!_ His anger rose as he thought of how unfair it was that Gaara should be the one to suffer yet again, he felt the fox's chakra and he propelled himself forward using the extra chakra.

_Th-this kid!_ Granny Chiyo was bewildered at how adamant Naruto was in saving Gaara.

"Naruto! Wait!" Kakashi shouted.

Sara shot forward, saying over her shoulder, "I'll get him!" She easily outpaced Sakura, and started gaining on Naruto slowly.

Granny Chiyo asked Kakashi, who was keeping pace with her, "Why are they trying so hard to save Gaara? They're not even from the same village…" Kakashi looked at her as she continued, "And who in the world are they?"

Kakashi chose his words carefully, "Sara carries Phoenix within her and she has experienced the same kind of lonely life as any Jinchûriki, and she has been on missions with Gaara, and grown close to him…but unlike Naruto, she has the discipline to keep her emotions in check and do what is best for the team… Naruto, on the other hand, has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him." Granny Chiyo's eyes widened in shock, "Naruto probably doesn't have any special feelings for the Sand Village…but Gaara is a Jinchûriki too. Naruto understands Gaara, as does Sara, better then anyone in the Sand Village ever could. Naruto is not as disciplined though when it comes to keeping his emotions in check…"

He glanced up ahead as he heard a shout from Naruto, he shook his head in disbelief as he saw that Sara had pinned him to the trunk of a tree and was shouting, "Would you slow down? I know you want to save Gaara, so do I! But rushing into danger isn't going to help anybody, especially Gaara!" Naruto stopped struggling, and Sara relaxed her grip, "We'll still keep ahead of everyone else, but let's not be so far ahead." She glanced back at Kakashi who smiled.

Kakashi continued, now that Naruto would be going slower, "But since they've experienced the same pain, that's why they have to save Gaara. Whether it's Sand or Leaf means nothing to them…to them, Gaara is a comrade who shares their pain. But Naruto probably relates the best to Gaara, especially since his dream is to become Hokage." He smiled, "You can imagine how hearing that Gaara had become the Kazekage might have irked him but he was genuinely happy for him at the same time…" He was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Naruto has a special power." Granny Chiyo glanced at him, "Without exchanging many words…he can strike up a friendship with anyone."

As they came within several feet of the two young ninja, Sara and Naruto leapt forward, Sakura was only a few feet behind the pair now, versus earlier when Sara had passed her leaving her in the dust.

Granny Chiyo said quietly, "I've lived long… I've seen many things. And I've learned the ways of the world accordingly. And because I've found that alliances with other countries are mere formalities…we needed resources to protect the Sand Village." Kakashi had a feeling that he knew where Granny Chiyo was going with the conversation, "The jutsu that sealed Shukaku inside Gaara… I did it." Kakashi remained silent, "I did it to protect the village…and the villagers have suffered for it. And now the village I avoided and didn't make an alliance with is trying to save us… All the things that I have done…may have very well been mistakes… Even worse, I've become decrepit and started giving up on things easily… Kakashi…" He turned towards her in surprise; Granny Chiyo gazed at the three young ninja as they leapt from branch to branch, "The young have so much potential within…I envy them."

"No, no. Your life's only just begun," Kakashi said, trying to lift up Granny Chiyo's mood. "You're still quite young."

Granny Chiyo burst out laughing and Kakashi smiled, glad that she seemed more upbeat. She continued to smile, "That's true…there may still be something I can do…" _Still something I can do…_ she thought, wondering what she could do to help the young ninja.

Sara suddenly shouted from up ahead, "I see Guy and his team up ahead, Master Kakashi, you're guess was right!"

Lee asked Guy as Kakashi's team approached, "What are we gonna do?" They were standing in front of a large boulder with a seal on it.

"First we have to break this barrier!" Guy announced.

"But how?" Tenten questioned.

"It's a Five-Seal Barrier," Kakashi said as they all landed on the water.

Lee, Tenten, and Neji turned around wondering who had spoken. Guy grinned, "You're late, Kakashi."

"Well you see…" Kakashi said as he straightened up, "We ran into a little trouble along the way."

Lee's face broke into a smile, "Naruto! Sara! Sakura!"

"Hey!" Naruto said greeting Lee, while Sara merely nodded, acknowledging that she had heard Lee.

Granny Chiyo looked slightly affronted, "You don't mean me, do you, Kakashi?"

"Naruto…" Neji said, surprised to see him.

"Everyone's here," Sakura commented, "So you arrived ahead of us?"

"Who's that old lady," Tenten asked as she and the rest of Team Guy approached.

"She's an advisor from the Sand," Sara answered.

Guy glanced at all of them, "Okay! Let's do this, Kakashi!"

"Yeah!" Kakashi said, nodding.

**Entering the Lair**

The two combined teams of Guy & Kakashi stood facing the boulder that blocked their way into the Akatsuki's lair. Pakkun said, looking up at Kakashi, "I guess it's time I go. I'll be no more use here. No sense in me getting in your way."

"Thanks, Pakkun," Kakashi said as he nodded, signaling that Pakkun could go. Pakkun disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Guy said, seemingly unfazed by the task ahead of them, "All right! Kakashi, our first order of business is this barrier. How do we get past it?"

Kakashi couldn't believe Guy was a jônin and yet he didn't know how to remove a Five-Seal Barrier, "A Five-Seal Barrier is established by placing five talismans in the nearby area. A single character, _forbidden_, is inscribed on each." He pointed at the paper seal above them, "One of these is right in front of us. There are four others. Until we peel them off, we can't do a thing about the barrier."

"Well, where are they?" Naruto asked, looking around, "I mean, the other four."

"Neji," Kakashi said.

"Got it," Neji said making a hand sign, _Byakugan! _It was only a few seconds before Neji said, "I see them… One's on a rock five hundred meters to the northeast…another on a tree by a river about three hundred and fifty meters south-southeast…then there's a cliff wall about six hundred and fifty meters to the northwest…and the last is in a wood about eight hundred meters southwest from here."

"All right!" Guy said cheerily, pulling out wireless headpieces, "They're all within wireless range. Take these, Neji will guide us straight to the talismans." He glanced at Kakashi and winked as his team put on the wireless headpieces, "My team is faster then yours, we'll handle it! The frequencies at one-seventy-four. Hang tight until I touch base." He glanced at his team.

"All set," Tenten said as she finished adjusting her mike.

"We're counting on you," Kakashi said, adjusting his frequency on his mike to match what Guy had said.

Guy shouted as he got ready to spring away, "Team guy! Let's go forth with the power of youth! Scatter!"

Team Guy leapt away, each heading to different areas.

_Gaara…_ Naruto thought impatiently, eager to enter the Akatsuki's lair.

Within a few minutes, Sara was positioned above the seal on the boulder, ready to peel it away once Kakashi gave her the signal. Sakura stood several meters away, waiting for Kakashi to give her the signal to charge in and shatter the boulder to pieces.

Kakashi said, "So to break in, I'm thinking we'll need a Switch Hook Entry, as Sara peels away the seal, Sakura, you'll charge in to break the boulder." Sara and Sakura nodded. Kakashi sighed silently, _I'd be on the boulder, but Sara is nimbler then I, especially with my back…plus she's faster…I hate getting old!_ He heard Guy's voice over the mike and said, "Now!"

Sara peeled away the seal and flipped to get off the boulder just as Sakura shattered the boulder with her fist.

As the entryway was revealed, Kakashi signaled for everyone to move in. Like lethal shadows, the shinobi slipped into the Akatsuki's lair. Everyone's eyes widened as they were greeted by two Akatsuki: one that was virtually hidden beneath his cloak apart from a brief glimpse of his face, and a mechanical tail, while the other had long blond hair, some of it tied into a pony tail, the rest covering his left eye.

Kakashi thought sadly, _we're too late…_

_Sasori…_ Granny Chiyo thought, focusing on the one with the tail.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sara focused on the motionless figure of the Kazekage, lying on the ground.

The blond haired one said, "Now, let's see which one is the Jinchûriki host? Hmmm?"

_That's going to get on my nerves, REAL fast! _Sara thought.

Naruto's face slowly went from surprise to rage, "You! You're dead meat!"

"That would be him, then," the one with the tail muttered.

The blond nodded, "Looks like it…"

Naruto glared at the Akatsuki members, but his gaze drifted to Gaara. He shouted, "Gaara! Why are you just lying there? GET UP!" Sakura and Sara glanced worriedly at their comrade as he continued to shout, "Hey, Gaara! What are you, deaf?"

"Naruto, stop," Kakashi said, raising his voice slightly so Naruto would hear him. His tone softened, "You know full well…"

"Indeed, I should think you'd know that he's already dead. Hmmm?" The blond said.

_Officially annoyed, _Sara thought, her pupils narrowing as she activated her Devil's Eyes.

Kakashi had been reading her mind and he said silently, _"Keep your hot head under control!"_

_"But it's annoying!"_ Sara protested. Kakashi gave her a steely look and she amended, _"I'll keep my temper in control, you know I'm not so stupid as to rush in without a plan!"_ Kakashi nodded, but didn't comment again.

Naruto's eyes filled with tears as he snarled, "Give him back." He charged forward, "Give me Gaara! You stinking…"

Kakashi slid in front of Naruto, blocking his path, "Cool it. Charge in without thinking and you'll get us all killed." Naruto growled in response

The Akatsuki member with the tail glanced at Gaara's body, "I'll hold on to the body. Since it appears the Jinchûriki host is burning for it." Kakashi didn't like the analysis that had been made.

"Sasori," the blond haired one said to his cohort, "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but…I'll handle the Jinchûriki host. Hmmm?"

_Still annoyed…_ Sara thought, tensing, ready to move at a second's notice.

The one called Sasori growled, "Listen, our quota is one apiece… If I were you, Deidara, I wouldn't push my luck."

"An artist must always seek ever greater stimulation. Lest his senses turn dull," the blond, Deidara, said, "This Jinchûriki host of the Nine-Tailed Fox…from what I hear, he is fairly strong. Hmmm?"

_One more "hmmm?" and I'm going to kill him!_ Sara thought, thoroughly irritated.

"What?" Sasori growled, "Those pyrotechnics of yours…ART? Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity…it is the beauty of all eternity."

"Quite so, Sasori," Deidara said, "as a fellow artist, I certainly…respect your perspective. But, in my opinion, art is transient beauty that fades after just a moment. Hmm."

Kakashi grabbed Sara's headband as she stalked forward, and he said silently, _"And you said you'd control your temper?"_

_"It's annoying!" _Sara tried to argue.

_"Did you ever think that perhaps he does that just to annoy the enemy," _Kakashi questioned silently. Sara remained silent, _"You still have a lot to learn."_

_"Yeah, yeah,"_ Sara admitted grudgingly.

Sakura questioned as she and Granny Chiyo stepped forward, "What's with them?"

"Enough of this!" Naruto snapped, pulling out a scroll and placing his palm on one of the many summoning symbols. A giant shuriken appeared out of the scroll and Naruto flung it towards the two bickering Akatsuki members.

Neither Sasori or Deidara turned as the shuriken came at them. Sasori flicked his puppet-tail, not even glancing at the fallen shuriken, "Deidara, you fool. Are you _trying_ to make me angry?"

"You see there?" Deidara said, "I did say you wouldn't like it, did I not? Hmm?"

Kakashi kept a firm hold on Sara's headband, but Sara made no move towards Deidara, which relieved Kakashi, _she does have a foul temper, but once she has it in control…the enemy had better not underestimate her!_

Deidara moved towards a clay bird that had been still for so long that none of the Leaf ninja had looked at it until it scooped up Gaara's body in its beak, "My art is the explosion itself. Compared to your grotesque puppet show…well, it's not even in the same league."

Sasori glared at Deidara and tried to impale the other Akatsuki member with his puppet-tail, but Deidara leapt into the air just as his clay bird took flight. "Sheesh," Sasori grumbled.

"See ya," Deidara called as his clay bird swallowed Gaara's body.

"Hey, wait up!" Naruto shouted, chasing after Deidara. Sara teleported out of the lair.

_Grrr…As always Naruto just can't help himself, _He shouted to the others, "Naruto and I will handle the guy outside. Sakura, Sara, and Granny Chiyo, you deal with this creep. Just don't do anything rash. Wait 'til Team Guy returns."

"Understood!" Sakura shouted, wondering, _Does Kakashi-sensei realize that Sara teleported out of here, probably to follow Naruto?_

Kakashi caught up to Naruto on rock formation that formed a ledge, Deidara hovered above them. He pressed his mike and asked, "Guy, come in… Can you return immediately?"

Guy's reply wasn't the answer he had been hoping for, "We would if we could…but we're a bit stuck. It'll take awhile."

Kakashi moved his headband up, revealing his Sharingan; _There's no time for delays…I just hope those three can handle that guy…_

**Ready to Fight**

Back in the lair, Sasori sighed before glaring at the two kunoichi in front of him.

Sakura froze, _just facing him like this, I can sense the huge difference in our experience…and in…our death tolls._

"Sakura, be brave," Granny Chiyo said, sensing the young kunoichi's fear, "Stay behind me and watch." She reached into her sleeves and whipped out two sets of kunai knives and kept them hovering in the air using chakra strings. With a flick of her wrist she sent the knives flying at Sasori.

Sasori merely moved his tail to act as a shield, meanwhile he ripped apart his cloak, and bent forward so he could be on all fours. He stood poised like a scorpion, an ugly face covering his back, the tail coming out of the mouth, "If you're going to play like that, I suppose you leave me no choice. So, Granny Chiyo…you want to join my collection, then? Along with the brat behind you?"

_What on earth?_ Sakura was looking at the contraption on Sasori's left hand.

Sasori continued, "First I pull out the entrails. Then I skin the body clean…then I drain the blood, down to the last drop…"

"Sakura…that's not Sasori's body," Granny Chiyo reassured her, "That's just a puppet."

Sasori at first, didn't acknowledge Granny Chiyo's comment to Sakura, "Add in a few preservatives…then just string up what's left, and we have a brand new marionette. The hag is right. This form you see is just one piece from my collection. The two of you should bump up my oeuvre to three hundred exactly…That's my _art!_"

Sakura said, "I can kind of tell that's not his body. But then…where is he? Puppet masters work from offstage, right? So where are the strings?"

"His body is inside the puppet," Granny Chiyo stated. Sakura's eyes widened, "Puppet masters aren't so good with close combat…since fussing with their marionettes leaves them wide open to attack. To overcome that weakness, he created this puppet. It serves as his armor…and his weapon. It's Sasori's favorite puppet. I'm familiar with it. It's called Hiruko."

"Okay," Sakura said, "So…how do we fight him?"

"Well…until we drag Sasori out of Hiruko, there's no point," Granny Chiyo stated bluntly. "What makes this puppet formidable is its mechanism. We don't know how or from where it may launch its attack."

Sakura tried to argue, "But, Granny Chiyo, you know how Hiruko works inside out. We have the advantage."

Granny Chiyo shook her head back and forth, "That's what I thought at first, but it seems that will not be the case."

"What do you mean?" Sakura demanded, worried.

Granny Chiyo said, "Hiruko has changed somewhat…since I saw it last. For one, the shell didn't look like that. He must have heightened its defenses. And the left arm…it's new to me. So…if he's changed that much, there's a chance he also changed its crucial hidden mechanisms."

"So how do we fight it?" Sakura questioned.

"Before we tackle Sasori," Granny Chiyo stated, "We must break Hiruko. I can't destroy it alone. I'm nowhere near strong enough. However…Sakura…you are. With your training, you wield the brute force of Lady Tsunade herself." Sakura's eyes widened, but then hardened, as understanding flashed in her eyes. "Now listen carefully. The first step is to get close and shatter the puppet. The catch is, you must dodge every attack it puts forth."

Sakura clenched her fist, "The poison you mean."

"That's right," Granny Chiyo said, nodding, "Even a scratch will prove fatal. To evade the attack you must understand the puppet master's style. You must anticipate his moves instantly."

"Understand the puppet master? Make snap judgments?" Sakura questioned. "I can't really do either…Sara would be better at that…"

"True, your teammate would be good, but she is helping the one's who need her most," Granny Chiyo smiled at Sakura's bewildered expression, "These things take years of experience, or many hard missions to master."

"Then how?" Sakura asked.

Granny Chiyo began to take off her hat, "I wonder what you see when you look at me. A helpless old woman perhaps? Or…" She untied her hair and let it fall down around her face, "Just count on me…that's why I'm here. His experience doesn't even compare to mine. Besides… I've already made my first move." Sakura was stunned, "Sakura, lean closer, together we shall finish him."

Meanwhile, outside the cave, hovering above the two Leaf Village shinobi, Deidara said, "Kakashi of the Sharingan eye, you wanna come after me? Hmm? I'm sure I shouldn't say this but… Sasori is stronger that I…probably…yeah."

Kakashi refused to be goaded into turning around to check on Sakura and Granny Chiyo, _I left Sara with them, plus Granny Chiyo's experience should even the odds…_

Naruto said suddenly, sounding a bit calmer, "Sensei, please go help Sakura and Bright Eyes. I'll rescue Gaara."

"Hmph!" Deidara snorted.

Up above Deidara, waiting for the right moment to start making her move was Sara, shuriken in hand, making sure the weapons were not in the sun so they wouldn't reflect the sun's light, appearing as a glint to the enemy. She had learned from how she had gotten her nickname, it was now said that the Shadow Wolf was so good, that you were lucky to get a chance to see any weapons.


	2. Part 2

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

**I meant to put this with the last part: This is a continuation from Brigh Eyes: The Unsung Ninja: A Naruto Story, my suggestion is that you read that first^^ **

**Recap: After two and a half years of being apart, Sara, Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi have proven that they've all improved over the years. Now they're on a mission to save Gaara, who's now the Kazekage of the Sand Village, and who has also been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. Upon entering the Akatsuki's Lair they met Deidara and Sasori, both members of the Akatsuki, now the true test of battle begins.**

**Sasori Revealed**

"Got it," Sakura said nodding, "I'll give it a shot."

"Are we ready?" Sasori questioned, reaching for the mask covering his face, "I hate waiting. You must know that."

"Don't worry; we'll waste no time in killing you!" Granny Chiyo snapped.

Sakura rushed forward with Granny Chiyo towards Sasori. He snorted in contempt and ripped away his mask. The puppet's mouth opened and needles shot out at them. Sakura flipped in the air to dodge the needles, while Granny Chiyo weaved in and out of the needles path. Something flying through the air in between them caught their attention. Their eyes widened in surprise as they realized Sasori had shot his puppet's odd looking hand.

"Die," Sasori said as millions of needles erupted from the hand. Sakura and Granny Chiyo moved with such grace to avoid the needles that it almost looked like they were dancing.

Sasori glared at them as they stood, smirking in front of him, _even that brat made it…_ Sakura and Granny Chiyo charged him. _But how…?_ He aimed his scorpion tail at Sakura, but it stopped inches from her face. He turned to face Granny Chiyo, _of course! The old bag!_

"Now, Sakura!" Granny Chiyo shouted, "Strike it down!"

"Yes!" Sakura yelled striking the puppet with all her might. It shattered with a satisfying crunch. However, a black shape leapt out from the shattered puppet and crouched on the ground in front of them.

_That has to be his real body, _Sakura thought, feeling worried.

The black cloaked figure straightened up, "I should have expected no less from my own granny… No wonder even the kid could dodge my attacks." Granny Chiyo smirked and made her chakra lines that connected to Sakura, visible. "The witch who could read my moves was steering her with threads of chakra."

_The cat's out of the bag._ Sakura thought, _this won't be as easy now._

"And moreover," Sasori continued, "you took control of Hiruko's tail while you were at it… I noticed only when the tail stalled on me… You did it when you threw those kunai knives. The thread was tied to the knife that struck the tail."

"Very good," Granny Chiyo said, "I used the tiniest amount of chakra, to keep it invisible. But you figured it out."

"But of course," Sasori said, gripping his cloak, Sakura's eyes widened as she tensed, ready for anything, "Remember who taught me how to play with puppets? Who drilled the talent into me?"

"Indeed," Granny Chiyo muttered, "But anyway…play time it is over." Sasori whipped off his cloak.

Meanwhile, Naruto leapt at Deidara but missed and slammed into the side of one of the canyon walls. Deidara threw some of his bird clay bombs, but swore as yet another kunai came out of nowhere, as they had been for several seconds now. He shouted, exasperated, "Who did that? Hmmm?"

The one of the clay birds flew at Kakashi, who quickly threw a shuriken at it, causing it to explode before it could get near him. The shock force sent him flying towards the canyon wall, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Deidara was about to throw a shuriken at Kakashi, when his own shuriken was knocked from his hands as his clay birds exploded from where the original one had come from. "Waah? What? Who in the world-? There are only you two!"

Sara grinned from the other side of the canyon, _can't catch me that easily!_

Naruto pried himself from the canyon wall, still furious, "You're not taking Gaara!"

Deidara glanced from either side before speaking, "You are quite the oddball. A Jinchûriki host is supposed to be sullen and misanthropic, hmmm?" A kunai went whizzing past his head and he threw a clay bird at the bush where the kunai had come from. He muttered darkly, "When I find out…" He smirked at Naruto, "And this Gaara is no less strange. I've never seen a host so beloved as he. To date we've destroyed two Jinchûriki hosts…not including him, of course. But no one ever tried to save them. Not their friends, not their neighbors, not a soul. Hmm? In fact, to some their deaths came as a relief." He chuckled darkly. Another shuriken came from the left canyon wall and Deidara shouted, "Damn it!" He threw another clay bomb, and glared at the spot where it exploded. He nodded satisfied.

Kakashi glanced at the spot, _I'm also curious as to who's throwing those weapons…it reminds me of Sara but she's back with Sakura and Granny Chiyo._

Deidara picked up where he had left off, "Perhaps you can't ignore one of your own kind? You feel too connected to this pathetic creature? Hmmm? Aah!" Two shuriken went whizzing past his head." He threw another bomb, this time at the right side of the canyon. "Ha!" He nodded in satisfaction, "Well, anyway. When I removed his One-Tailed beast, it was the end of Gaara. The point is, you are doomed, all the same."

"You filth…" Naruto growled, "You're all dead!"

Back in the cave Sasori said, "So…you still think this'll be easy? Granny Chiyo?"

Both Granny Chiyo and Sakura were startled at how young Sasori looked. Sakura questioned nervously, "Granny Chiyo? This is…Sa-Sasori?"

Granny Chiyo was too stunned to answer, _what is happening? All these years…and not a day on him!_

Sasori pulled out a scroll and said, "Let me show you my favorite. You know, this one was hard to finish." Smoke billowed from the scroll.

Granny Chiyo exclaimed, "No…that's not…"

"What? What is it?" Sakura asked, frightened by Granny Chiyo's words.

"That's…the Third Kazekage," Granny Chiyo whispered.

Sasori crouched low to the ground and the puppet mimicked him, "Shall we begin?"

**Fierce Determination**

"The Third Kazekage? You mean…?" Sakura was asserting that she had understood everything.

Granny Chiyo answered, "It was more then ten years ago…the Third Kazekage vanished suddenly." Sakura stared at her in shock, "Sasori…so it was you!"

Sasori snorted in contempt, "A retired witch, already one foot in the grave…yet still you trouble yourself."

"Retired, yes. One foot in the grave…maybe. But that doesn't prevent me getting around. There are just too many things left undone," Granny Chiyo said. Sasori tensed, waiting for her to make her move, "My grandson, degrading himself…becoming a criminal…well, that's one thing. But betraying the village? Participating in the deaths of three Kazekage?"

"Three of them?" Sakura was startled.

"It was Orochimaru who actually killed Gaara's father, the Fourth Kazekage. But Sasori was complicit from the start. And now Gaara…and the Third Kazekage…"

Sasori stated, "I wasn't involved with the Fourth. That was one of my agents. But yeah, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki go way back… We've done some work together."

Sakura though of when she had first met Orochimaru and then of Sasuke. She gritted her teeth together, "You…" Granny Chiyo stared at her in surprise, "You worked with…Orochimaru.

"Hm," Sasori seemed to be debating whether or not he should answer, "It's time to finish here." The puppet of the Third Kazekage flew forward and Granny Chiyo yanked Sakura backwards so she wouldn't get hit. The puppet's arm expanded into a series of blades and both, Sakura and Granny Chiyo were startled.

_He's fast, _Granny Chiyo thought, yanking back on the chakra strings even harder, but also yanking on Hiruko's tail to bring it in between Sakura and the blades. The blades sliced the tail to pieces, but Sakura escaped without a scratch. _So much for Hiruko's tail…_

"Pretty good, Granny Chiyo," Sasori commented, while he moved his chakra strings, and the Third Kazekage's left arm opened up to reveal summoning symbols, "Here goes!" Arms upon, arms expanded from the original left arm and shot towards Sakura, and Granny Chiyo maneuvered the chakra springs so Sakura escaped unharmed once again, or so it seemed.

_This is useless so long as she's under that bat's control…_ "Okay then," He said moving his chakra strings.

Granny Chiyo got Sakura out of the jumble of arms and had her leap into the air when one of the arms opened up, spewing colored gas.

_No!_ "Sakura! Hold your breath!" Granny Chiyo shouted. Her eyes widened when Sakura was enveloped in the cloud, and she yanked on the chakra strings, but Sakura was stuck.

Sasori smirked, _now, poison gas…that tells a different story._

Sakura was bewildered to find herself tied up, _he threw them just after the poison gas had been released._

"When a kunai knife has a rope tied to it…you might do better deflecting than dodging," Sasori said, still smiling.

Sakura was finding it hard to continue holding her breath, _I…I promised Naruto…that I'd…go with him. I vowed that…the next time… I'd protect them both…and I can't continue to rely on others to help me…_ she thought of Kakashi and Sara.

"Sakura! Hang in there!" Granny Chiyo shouted, running as fast as she could.

_I'm not done for yet!_ Sakura could move just enough so she could grab a paper bomb.

Granny Chiyo's eyes widened as she was blown backwards, but she managed to catch Sakura. The gas had also dissipated. _Oh, this girl using a letter bomb to dissipate the gas… She nearly blew herself up, along with the trap… How reckless._

Sasori said nonchalantly, "Oh well."

"You…" Sakura was panting and her body stung from numerous small burns, but she yelled, "I will get you! You can blow my limbs off! You can poison me until I can't move, and I'll still get you! No matter what you've got! I'll drag you to the edge of death and make you scream all about Orochimaru! So be…"

Sasori was tired of hearing her voice so he flicked his wrist and all of the arms that had originally trapped her opened up and shot out kunai knives, but they didn't get very far.

Granny Chiyo scolded him, "When a woman is talking a man does well to listen quietly." Two puppets stood in front of Sakura and Granny Chiyo.

Sakura glanced back at Granny Chiyo and saw two scrolls in Granny Chiyo's hands.

"Oh…those…" Sasori said.

"That's right," Granny Chiyo said sagely, "The very first puppets you created. The Mother and The Father."

**Puppet Masters**

"What do you expect to do with them now?" Sasori questioned. "I made them. I know their workings inside and out."

Granny Chiyo didn't say anything for several seconds, but she did move eventually, having the two puppets touch hands and then pull them apart.

_Wires…?_ Sakura wondered what Granny Chiyo could possibly do with just a few wires.

The Mother and Father leapt and sliced right through the multitude of arms with the wires. The Third Kazekage was yanked back, and produced a variety of weapons to fight with. By the end of the puppets sparing, all of the weapons were cut so that they were useless.

"This is incredible," Sakura gasped, in awe of the speed with which the two puppet masters were having their puppets move at.

Sasori wasn't pleased, "This is becoming a nuisance…Better speed things along." The Third Kazekage's mouth opened and black sand began to pour out of it.

"As I figured, that puppet…can use the Third Kazekage's own jutsu," Granny Chiyo muttered.

"Haven't seen it for awhile have you?" Sasori taunted, "If I recall, this is what made his name as the most powerful of all. Things are going to get messy."

"What on earth?" Sakura asked, bewildered by the black sand.

Granny Chiyo answered, "It's the most feared weapon in the Sand Village…Satetsu…the Iron Sand. It's one of the Third Kazekage's original jutsu adapted from one used by the former host of the Shukaku. It can mold magnetic sand into any shape forming the perfect weapon for every situation. The Third Kazekage was graced with a special physical constitution that allowed him to convert chakra into magnetic forces."

"What do you mean?" Sakura was still confused, "That thing's just a puppet right? How can a doll hold chakra?"

"Well…that puppet is a human puppet, built from a real cadaver," Granny Chiyo stated bluntly, "Like a battery it kept what chakra the body had possessed in life. Sasori is the only one who can produce human puppets. Whomever he makes his puppet… Sasori has access to that person's jutsu. Ultimately, that's what gives him such supreme power."

Sasori grinned, "Oh, there's more to it that that. Remember, of all my collection, this one is my favorite."

"Sakura, you get away from here," Granny Chiyo said, "I'll take care of this."

"What?" Sakura was appalled.

Granny Chiyo continued, "I did NOT expect this. You're no match for him now… Not with this card in play."

Sasori was not willing to wait as the black sand formed into numerous darts, "Too late…" _Iron Sand Shower!_ The darts flew forward.

Sakura and Granny Chiyo were caught off guard,_ this is bad!_ Granny Chiyo thought before moving the Mother to get Sakura out of the way.

Sasori stared intently into the dust as it cleared, and he said, "So you did fiddle a bit." Granny Chiyo stood behind a chakra shield produced by the Father, while the Mother slid to a stop, Sakura safe in it's clutches. "Chakra shield, huh? Quite an upgrade since last I played with them."

Granny Chiyo remembered that moment, but she focused on what was going on in front of her. As she tried to close the Father's arms, which had produced the shield, but black sand seeped out of the joints. _As I figured, crippled by the Iron Sand… _She cut the strings to the puppet and allowed it to slump to the ground.

Sasori continued to grin, "A jutsu you shouldn't just block. You should know you have to dodge it. Is that it? Saving the girl is all you could manage?" He laughed, "The Iron Sand has seeped into the doll. So long as I have the magnetic power of the Third Kazekage…that thing can't last." The Father began to twitch on the ground, even though Granny Chiyo had cut the strings, as if to emphasize Sasori's point. "Now…this time I attack both of you at once! Just to make sure you're really dead…I'll use my most lethal forms!"

Sakura glanced up as the iron sand transformed itself into spears.

Sasori continued, "One puppet, two people. Can't protect both. What do you say to that witch?" _Let's see which one will die._

**Miscalculation**

As the spears made out of the iron sand shot towards Granny Chiyo and Sakura, Sasori activated another part of the Third Kazekage puppet. The puppet's chest opened and powerful chakra emanated from it to the spears, making them go faster. As the spears slammed into the ground with a large boom.

Sasori watched in eager silence to see that both of the kunoichi had been killed. As the dust cleared, Sakura was revealed, with the Mother standing in front of her with a shield up. Sasori's eyes widened as he stared at Granny Chiyo. Sakura turned to see if Granny Chiyo was all right, and she too, was startled.

Granny Chiyo stood amidst the spears, her right arm opened up like a shield…just like the puppets.

Sasori laughed, "Just an arm…but still, rigging your own body. We puppet masters…we're all of a kind, huh?"

Granny Chiyo tried to close her rigged, right arm, but the iron sand wouldn't allow it to close, "I see…so that's what you did then." Sasori smirked, as Granny Chiyo was forced to detach her rigged right arm, along with cutting the chakra strings to the Mother, which was now useless.

"Once the iron sand gets in, the puppet is done for," Sasori repeated. "Well, now you're out of puppets. What next?"

Granny Chiyo was silent, as she remembered a young Sasori with the puppets that he had now made useless. She didn't answer him.

Sasori continued, "Even a great puppet master is nothing without a puppet, huh?" He laughed as the iron sand moved towards the Third Kazekage and then morphed itself into two shapes, a rectangle and a triangle.

Sakura's mouth fell open in a silent gasp of horror, while Granny Chiyo commented, "A pity I got us into this jam…indeed, what next? Well, Sakura, whatever he's up to, you get out of here."

This shocked Sakura out of her horror, and she clenched her fist, _what can I do…? Right now…_ She grabbed her clenched fist, _what…_ She gritted her teeth, "Granny Chiyo…Please use me!" Granny Chiyo's eyes widened in shock. _At this point, all I can do…is fight as a puppet. I don't have the experience for a fight like this…_

"I lost an arm. I won't be able to support you as before," Granny Chiyo admitted.

Sakura said, "That's okay. I might not be rigged up with fancy weapons, like the puppets…" Sasori looked on in silence as Granny Chiyo connected the strings to Sakura. "But what has been hammered into me…is the unbending spirit of my master!"

_Heh, heh, Princess Tsunade? _Granny Chiyo said aloud, "The Third Kazekage's power is magnetic force! That means arms of iron and steel are useless."

"That's just swell!" Sakura exclaimed, slamming her right fist into her left palm, " 'Cause like my master, I learned to fight with my bare hands!

"This again?" Sasori questioned, sounding bored, "How tedious."

Sakura charged forward while Sasori morphed the triangle into a spear aimed right at her. Granny Chiyo helped Sakura jump out of the way, while she leapt to avoid the spear too.

Landing on her feet, Sakura glanced up to see the rectangle plummeting towards her. She rolled to avoid the shape and then hopped to her feet, pulling back her left arm and striking the rectangle with all her might, sending it back towards Sasori.

Sasori leapt out of the way just in time muttering, "That girl…"

"And that's just the beginning!" Sakura taunted.

Meanwhile, Naruto was giving chase to Deidara, who had chosen to continue fleeing rather then facing two ninja and an unknown enemy. Granted, that unknown enemy was keeping pace with him still, throwing shuriken or kunai at him at random intervals.

Kakashi shouted, as Naruto sped up, "Naruto, wait! Stay close to me!"

Deidara ducked, as yet another shuriken flew at him, he pulled out another clay bomb and launched it towards the opposite side of the canyon, _that heat seeker should do the trick._

_Oh shit!_ Sara leapt off the canyon side as the bomb slammed into the ground, just inches from where she had been.

Deidara scowled, _now that I can see my enemy I know who she is…the Shadow Wolf of the Hidden Leaf Village…and that was my last bomb…_ He said loudly enough, "So the Shadow Wolf joins the fray as well, hmm?" He ducked as another shuriken came his way.

Sara landed just in front of Kakashi, and Kakashi said, "I thought I told you to stay with Sakura!"

Leaping forward so she could keep pace with him, "I must have teleported out of there before you said that, because I heard no such thing."

Naruto glanced back at Sara, _Bright Eyes is called the Shadow Wolf? She has a lot of explaining to do when this is over!_

Kakashi said silently to Sara, "_We've strayed too far from Sakura and the others. We're way out of wireless range…"_

"_I know…I was hoping my random weapon throwing would slow him down, but if anything he sped up…"_ Sara commented.

Kakashi kept his next thought to himself, _we can't drag this out…I'd better use it and settle this now._

Sakura and Granny Chiyo stood facing Sasori amongst what was left of the cave. Sasori commented, "Quite a big punch for a little girl."

Sakura stood panting, but she still looked ready for battle. _This girl is amazing!_ Granny Chiyo thought, _in this short time, she's started to read Sasori's offensive pattern._ _At this point, she doesn't really need my support. I would never have dreamed she was this good… Tsunade…you chose well…_

Sakura remembered all of her earlier training with Tsunade and how it had all been based on evasion, she stood studying Sasori, _before he can strike, he must move his finger. That's the weakness of a puppet master. From his hand and arm gestures, I'm beginning to see the direction of his attacks._

Sasori was getting worried as he moved his arm, _the girl is a hawk. At this rate I could be here forever! I guess I have to waste some chakra. This should finish her off._ The two shapes of iron shape combined, _Needle Sphere!_ The combined shapes exploded into millions upon millions of needles.

_Oh no!_ Granny Chiyo desperately tried to get Sakura away from the needles.

Sakura was stunned, _it's huge!_

What remained of the cave was destroyed by the Needle Sphere, as the dust from the needles cleared, it revealed that Sakura was still standing, though her head was lowered.

"Sakura!" Granny Chiyo shouted, "Sakura! Are you all right?"

Cuts appeared everywhere on Sakura's body and she swayed slightly, remembering Granny Chiyo's words, _"Even a scratch will prove fatal."_ Sasori had also soaked the iron sand in poison.

"She's injured," Granny Chiyo whispered in shock.

Sasori grinned, "I told you didn't I? That there was more to it?"

Granny Chiyo realized what Sakura had, "The iron sand is soaked in poison!" She turned her attention back to Sakura as she hit slumped to the ground.

Sasori laughed, "The poison is starting its work. It numbs the body pretty rapidly. Left alone, she may last three days. But I'll finish her now." The Third Kazekage shot forward, its remaining blade extended.

Granny Chiyo tried to move, but her cloak pulled taut, _I'm stuck!_ She realized glancing at the part of her cloak that was caught between the rubble.

The Third Kazekage swung its arm, about to strike, when Sakura stood up with the speed of a striking snake, and smashed the puppet to bits. Sasori and Granny Chiyo were both startled, but no one spoke as Sakura rushed to Granny Chiyo and helped her out of the rubble.

Granny Chiyo finally managed, "Sakura…how…?"

"I used the antidote," Sakura answered, pulling out a vial, "There's one left. Granny Chiyo, I want you to keep it." She handed the old woman the vial.

"But when?" Granny Chiyo wondered.

"Back when I concocted it for Kankuro…I had enough for three doses. I knew our adversary used poison…I brought along the rest in hypodermic form."

"Oh, I see," Granny Chiyo whispered, nodding.

"The catch is," Sakura continued, "the antidote is only really potent for about three minutes. While it's working, whatever poison you're exposed to gets converted into a harmless protein. I didn't want Sasori to know I had it." She began to heal some of Granny Chiyo's wounds. "I figured his guard would be lowest after he'd played his final card. That it'd be our only chance. So I had to hang on to it until the very last moment. For the next three minutes or so, his poison won't affect me. We only have this chance."

"Understood," Granny Chiyo murmured, glancing at the destroyed Third Kazekage puppet, "It's time to end this fight."

**Unknown Power…!**

"Sakura, I'm fine now," Granny Chiyo murmured. Leaning forward heavily, Sakura began to pant. _That monstrous strength, dodging, healing…they all demand considerable chakra… She must already be at her limit…_

Getting shakily to her feet, "We have no time…" Sakura said, "Can we start now, Granny Chiyo?"

"Sure," Granny Chiyo said.

Sasori watched them intently, _How can she move? I know my poison affected her. _Sakura made a hand sign and his eyes widened, _Wait, no…she detoxified it! But how?_ He remembered his fight with the young puppet master from the Sand Village that had tried to stop him and Deidara. _Could THEY have used that poison? No…it's impossible. The antidote is prohibitively difficult to mix. If there's even the slightest mistake… Even __**I**__ need to reference the mix ratio table and I CREATED it. And yet…was it the witch? No…I doubt that…_ Sakura began to heal some of her deeper wounds on her arm, "So, that brat is a medic ninja," he said softly to himself. His eyes narrowed as Sakura's healing began more focused and less chaotic. _Did she…?_

Sakura removed her hand from her arm, _Well, I staunched the major bleeding anyway… Time to refocus the rest of my chakra to attack! We only have less then three minutes to do this, and we won't have another chance._

Granny Chiyo glanced at the vial Sakura had given her before pocketing it, "Let's go Sakura."

"Yes," Sakura agreed, pulling on the glove she had taken off.

Sasori began to unzip his cloak, _hmph! I admit, she is quite a girl. Never thought I'd see the Third Kazekage destroyed…It's probably a waste to use other human puppets. _"I haven't been forced to solve a problem this way since I joined the Akatsuki," he said, "I wonder how long it's been…" Sasori's cloak fell to the ground.

"Wha-what is that?" Sakura questioned.

Granny Chiyo answered, "He hasn't aged at all. He still looks as he did long ago. Well, there's the reason why."

Sasori stood balanced on a metal rope with a blade on it that came out of his stomach, blades extended from his arms, scrolls were attached to his back, and there was a fleshy looking part that had the kanji for scorpion on it.…he was a puppet as well. "It's been awhile indeed, since last I used myself."

"He's an actual…human puppet?" Sakura was bewildered and disgusted by Sasori's appearance.

In the canyon, Kakashi and Sara caught up with Naruto, literally. Kakashi grabbed him by his midsection and snapped, "I said wait, didn't I?" Naruto growled at him, "Don't worry. We'll get Gaara back!" Naruto relaxed slightly, so Kakashi allowed him to continue on his own momentum, "Calm down. C'mon."

Naruto questioned, seeing Sara, "What are you doing here, Bright Eyes?"

"Same as you," Sara answered, "I'm here to get Gaara." Naruto continued to stare at her, "I bet you have questions for me…but for now, they'll have to wait."

Naruto grumbled, "I knew that much!" He kept pace with Kakashi and Sara.

Kakashi said, "Listen, Naruto. You're not used to fighting an opponent like this. You're a close combat fighter. He excels at long distance. This makes him your worst enemy." Naruto gazed at him in shock, "There are only two ways to beat this type of foe."

"So what are they?" Naruto demanded.

"One is to force him to fight up close," Kakashi stated, "the other is to beat him at his own game."

"But how?" Naruto questioned, for the time being focused on what Kakashi was saying.

Sara answered him, "There are two options. You either need a long range fighter, or someone who can use long range jutsu. If you don't have either of those, you're pretty much out of luck. But, if you have someone with the superior intellect of Shikamaru, that would put the odds in your favor."

"Would both of you spill it? Which are you?" Naruto was losing his patience.

Kakashi was the first to answer, "Me? Well, I _**have**_ a superior intellect. I'm a jônin. And I can sustain a long range battle."

"Well, Bright Eyes?" Naruto had lost his patience and was ready to get going.

Sara took note of this and decided to shock him so he wouldn't go recklessly after Deidara again, "Being the previous Head of the Anbu Black Ops," Naruto almost collided with one of the mainly large tree roots that crisscrossed the canyon, "I have learned to use long range jutsu, how to sustain a battle from long range, and I have a superior intellect."

Naruto shook off his shock, "Then we meet the requirements!"

"That's why I told you to calm down," Kakashi said. "But it's not as simple as it sounds. When we're chasing him, he won't give us any openings."

Sara added, "That's why even when I was throwing weapons from various positions from the canyon sides, he still refused to let his guard down."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, "Plus, he went into the Sand Village alone and overcame Gaara. He's a member of the infamous Akatsuki after all… So what do we do?" He paused for a brief second, "We must create an opening ourselves. All of us, together… If you're with me so far," he said, meaning Naruto, "Then stay close. I have a plan."

In the Akatsuki's Lair…or what was left of it, Sakura and Granny Chiyo both hid behind rocks as Sasori shot flames from rigged pipes in his hands, "What's the matter? Not going to attack me?" He taunted the two kunoichi.

_One minute left, _Sakura thought worriedly.

Sasori hunched forward before shooting his metal rope around the rock Sakura was hiding behind, grazing her side. His metal rope embedded itself into a boulder.

"Die!" Sasori shouted as he lunged towards Granny Chiyo, who didn't suspect him to come at her.

**Granny Chiyo vs. Sasori!**

Granny Chiyo braced herself for Sasori's attack, while Sakura started to stagger to her feet, _Granny Chiyo!_ Her eyes focused on Sasori's metal rope and grabbed it, yanking it with her monster strength.

Sasori didn't think anything of it as he continued to lunge forward, more then enough of the rope to get to his target. Just as he was about to strike, he felt a tug. His rope had been forcibly pulled out to the point of there being none left. He stared at Sakura in shock, as did Granny Chiyo.

"Take this!" Sakura shouted, yanking him back towards her. She pulled back her left arm and as Sasori soared towards her she punched him as hard as possible, destroying the puppet. She stood panting as parts scattered around her, glancing back at the puppet's motionless head, _I beat him…with barely enough time to spare…_ Sakura smiled at Granny Chiyo, starting to laugh from the stress, "I did it…Granny Chiyo, I did it!"

"Sakura….you…" Granny Chiyo was still in shock from Sakura's display of prowess.

A clacking sound wiped the smile from Sakura's face, her back stiffened. She turned around slowly, disbelief in her eyes, as the puppet…as Sasori, reformed before her very eyes.

Granny Chiyo reacted better then Sakura, reattaching a chakra string to her puppet arm and reattaching it. Sakura turned to Granny Chiyo, wondering what she was doing. Granny Chiyo began to pull out a scroll, "I forbade even myself use of this jutsu because of you, Sasori… I never thought I would ever use it again. But against you, I must!" The scroll unfurled, revealing several summoning seals. She made a hand sign, "Let's end this here and now…" All the seals pulled away from the scroll to reveal ten, white robed puppets.

"Outstanding, Granny," Sasori said, "A puppet master's skill is measured by the number of puppets they can use."

Sakura was in awe of the ten puppets, "So…so many."

Sasori gazed admirably at the puppets, "Granny Chiyo's secret, Multiple Digits! I've heard of it…you once destroyed an entire fortress with it…Secret White Move! Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets!"Granny Chiyo gazed stonily at him, "The first puppet master, Monzaemon's ten master pieces." The second scroll on Sasori's back popped out and he unrolled it, opening a cavity in his chest, "Your collection is quite impressive but…" A hundred black robed puppets appeared, "I destroyed an entire country with these."

Sakura's mouth fell open in awe and fear, while Granny Chiyo stared at the black clad puppets, _he's developed so much…!_

Sasori bowed his head and placed a hand on his forehead, "This is disappointing. I'm wasting my time with this little girl and old hag…and having to resort to my best puppets," he turned his gaze on them, "Secret Red Technique! Performance of a Hundred Puppets! It's show time!"

Sakura darted away from Sasori and stood poised in front of Granny Chiyo and her ten puppets, ready for battle.

"Sakura," Granny Chiyo said, "Your antidote has worn off…stay back."

The young kunoichi was surprised at first, but a smile came across her face, "You already know, don't you? Who I've become!"

Granny Chiyo was now the one who was surprised, but it quickly passed, "Oh, yes. You've modeled yourself after Tsunade…" She stared at the mass of black puppets, "Now comes the finale. Ready?"

"Yeah!" Sakura answered.

When Sasori moved his hands to send his puppets forward, Granny Chiyo noted, _So…the only reason he can use so many puppets is because he is a puppet himself… That cavity in his chest has chakra strings coming out of it…_ "Brace yourself, Sakura!"

As the black robed puppets got closer, Granny Chiyo had two of her puppets join hands and charge forward. One of the puppets had a chakra made shuriken in front of it. The second puppet threw it forward and the first puppet ripped through the ranks of Sasori's puppets. The other puppets of Granny Chiyo's were proving that though they were few in number, they were of a higher quality then Sasori's. But slowly, they were being eliminated. Granny Chiyo watched as three of her puppets were destroyed, _there are too many of them._

Sakura, meanwhile, was destroying puppets right and left, but one of them slipped past her and headed towards Granny Chiyo, and it sliced her side. She gritted her teeth and destroyed the puppet with one of her own.

"Granny Chiyo!" Sakura shouted, alarmed. She fell back along with Granny Chiyo's remaining four puppets, the other six had been destroyed.

Ignoring the pain in her side, "Sakura, aim for Sasori, I'll take care of the other puppets."

"Okay," Sakura agreed.

Granny Chiyo had one of the puppets come alongside Sakura for a brief second, "Use this!"

The puppet spat out a ball of some sort and Sakura caught it, charging towards Sasori. Granny Chiyo's white clad puppets clearing a path, Sakura pulled back her arm and threw the ball with all her might at Sasori.

As it soared through the air the ball slowly morphed into, what resembled, a cat's head with massive teeth, it slammed into Sasori, pinning him to the wall. The black robed puppets collapsed, unable to move since their strings had been severed.

Sakura was panting, "I did it…"

"He can't move," Granny Chiyo confirmed, "It's over Sasori… That sealing completely traps chakra…you can't use your chakra strings anymore." She collapsed onto her knees.

"Granny Chiyo!" Sakura yelled, fear for the old woman's life showing in her voice, "Take the antidote now!" A movement on the battlefield caught Sakura's eyes as she ran towards Granny Chiyo. Slowly, a black clad puppet rose, the canister that had been in the puppet pinned to the wall, was now in its chest. Sakura increased her speed as the puppet, now Sasori, moved to stab Granny Chiyo. She placed herself in front of the sword's path and grabbed the blade as it pierced her stomach and came out her back.

Granny Chiyo stared in horror at Sakura as she stood panting in front of her, "Sakura!" She flinched as the poison began to take its hold.

Sakura turned to look at her, "Take the antidote…now…Granny Chiyo…"

"A wound like this and you still care about the others?" Sasori questioned, "You're pretty tough." He twisted the blade, causing Sakura to cry out in pain as blood spurted from her mouth and both of her wounds. She gritted her teeth and began to heal around the sword. _This girl… She's stopping the bleeding and healing the wound with the sword still inside her…such skill. _He shoved the blade into her more, and she cried out in pain again. "It seems the poison is working…needless to say, this sword is also poisoned."

_My body's going numb…I can't control my chakra…_ Sakura thought, losing control of her chakra, stopping the healing process.

Granny Chiyo grabbed the vial inside her sleeve and pulled it out, her hand shaking. Without a second's hesitation she slammed the vial onto Sakura's leg, the small needle starting to inject the antidote into the young kunoichi's body.

"What?" Sasori was startled.

Sakura asked, as Granny Chiyo slumped forward, "Wh-why?"

Sasori began to pull the blade out, but Sakura grabbed it savagely, gritting her teeth, "I won't let go." This surprised Sasori event more. Granny Chiyo was gasping for breath, and Sakura turned her attention to her for a brief second, distracted, "Granny Chiyo!"

Sasori detached his arm that was holding the sword while he aimed at Granny Chiyo, his other arm fell away to reveal a second sword.

Granny Chiyo looked up and attached chakra strings to two puppets and sent them towards Sasori. Within the blink of an eye, the Mother and the Father had stabbed Sasori right where the canister was, destroying the only human thing about him…his beating heart.

**Reward…!**

Sasori stared horrified at the two sword tips that were protruding from his chest, he stared at Granny Chiyo, his eyes desperately seeking an answer.

"You lowered your guard at the last moment…Sasori," Granny Chiyo said, answering his unspoken question, "Even though your body is now that of a puppet…you still need a human part to control chakra. That's your weakness…And now…that part in the left side of that puppet's chest is gone….. That puppet body is, in fact, just a doll. Your true nature is the chakra-producing part in your chest." She slumped forward, exhausted, as Sasori released a small laugh.

Sakura slumped forward as well, clutching the sword that was still stuck in her. Granny Chiyo forced herself up, "Sakura!" _I have to close the wound, _she activated her chakra, to heal the wound, _while pulling out the sword._ She placed her hand where the sword's tip protruded and grabbed the sword, causing Sakura to cry out in pain. "Stay with me…" Granny Chiyo begged, "Almost…got it…" She threw the sword away from her as soon as it was out, and she focused her full attention on both of Sakura's wounds.

"Impossible," Sasori said, "I hit a vital point. Even without the poison, she's going to die. She's losing too much blood. You're also a medic ninja…so I aimed for a spot you can't heal very easily."

Granny Chiyo snorted, "I've already done first aid with medical ninjutsu. This is NOT medical ninjutsu." Sasori's eyes widened, "This imparts raw life energy…this is a transference technique. This jutsu…I spent years creating it for you. And only I can use it." Sasori was baffled as Sakura began to stir, "With this jutsu…the user can breathe life into even a puppet…" Sakura was definitely coherent again as realization struck Sasori as to what the jutsu required, "…In exchange for the life of the user." Granny Chiyo recalled, once again, a young Sasori being embraced by the Mother and Father puppets, and how she had watched the moment, "But…that's an **impossible dream** now…"

"Nonsense," Sasori said, "Utter nonsense. When did you go so senile, Granny?"

Sakura watched Granny Chiyo's reactions to those words and closed her eyes before trying to sit up.

"Sakura," Granny Chiyo said, concerned, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Sakura said, but she asked, "What about you, Granny Chiyo?"

Sasori was perplexed, "Strange…with a transference technique, or whatever it's called, doesn't the wielder die in exchange for bringing the recipient back to life?"

"Sakura was mortally wounded," Granny Chiyo stated, "But had not yet died. That's why…I survived."

"What a shame," Sasori said. Sakura moved with lightning swiftness and slugged Sasori, cracking his cheek. "You're wasting your time…This body doesn't feel pain. You'll only hurt your fist." Sakura glared at him, "women…they just love to do completely pointless things," he laughed. "Even if my own grandmother dies…I won't feel a thing. My heart is just like this body. She'd just be one more among the thousands I've killed. Thing's are simpler than you think."

Sakura clenched her fist, shaking, "What do you think human life is?" She demanded, "What's family to you?" She thought of Naruto and Sara, and how far her two teammates would go to either get a family, in Naruto's case, or defend their loved ones, in Sara's case.

"Hey…does that sound like something a shinobi would say?" Sasori asked, avoiding the question.

"Why?" Sakura continued, "Why can you only think of things that way?"

"That's enough, Sakura," Granny Chiyo said, "What made him like this was…our Sand Village customs and teachings."

Sakura didn't know what to say to that. It was hard for her to accept that Granny Chiyo and Sasori had arrived from the same village and yet had such different ideals.

Sasori taunted, "Do you want to try this body? If you do you'll understand a little of what it's like." Sakura glared at him, appalled, "This body never decays….puppets can be produced and reproduced and they're free from a mortal lifespan… Countless people can be created with puppets." Sakura glanced at the destroyed puppets that surrounded them, "But only if you want to…" Sakura was having difficulty restraining herself from slugging him again, "But it's not about quantity, a collection is all about quality."

"What on Earth are you?" Sakura demanded, her voice laced with anger and disgust.

Sasori answered, "Suffice it to say…I'm a human being who couldn't become a complete puppet… I'm a puppet but with a human heart…I'm neither human nor puppet…" Sakura was a little surprised by this answer, "The end is near. But first, I'll do something pointless too…A reward for defeating me." Sakura and Granny Chiyo were startled. Sasori's voice intensified, "You wanted to know about Orochimaru didn't you?" Sakura was even more surprised, "go to the Tenchi Bridge in the Hidden Grass Village…ten days from now at noon…"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, still startled.

Sasori said, "One of Orochimaru's henchmen is a spy of mine…I'm supposed to meet him there…" Sasori's head slumped forward, all signs of life gone from his puppet body.

Granny Chiyo remembered how he had been as a boy, and cut the chakra strings from the Mother and Father, letting them fall back.

Sakura said quietly, "You did it…Granny Chiyo. I knew you could…"

Granny Chiyo stared at her dead grandson, "No…. By rights, it was I…that should have been defeated." Sakura gazed at her questioningly, "Sasori anticipated my final attack…but…for some reason he couldn't dodge it. He was off guard for a moment…"

Sakura glanced at the three motionless puppets, "Is that…?"

Granny Chiyo hunched over, in pain from the poison, "Granny Chiyo!" Sakura shouted, alarmed, "Let's get you back to the village! I'll prepare an antidote."

"No," Granny Chiyo said, sitting up slowly.

"Why not?" Sakura demanded, "We've done what we had to do! We have to return to the village and counter act the poison or…"

Granny Chiyo interrupted her, "Instead of that…There's still something… I must do."

Flying over the canyon, Deidara was starting to get worried, _that kid suddenly got quiet, and I haven't had a shuriken or kunai whiz past my head or come anywhere near me for awhile… What are they up to? Hmm?_

"Kakashi-sensei, are you ready yet?" Naruto asked quietly.

Kakashi said, his eyes closed, and Sara in front of him, so he wouldn't collide with anything, "Be patient…I don't have as much chakra as you. It takes me a little longer but…" He opened his eyes, his Sharingan eyes now looked like scythes around the pupil instead of commas, "I'm just about ready. Let's go, you two!"

**New Sharingan!**

Naruto and Sara stared in wonder at the Sharingan. Naruto finally asked, still in awe, "Is that what you were talking about?"

"Yup," Kakashi said casually, "A new Sharingan."

Sara said silently, seething, _a new Sharingan is NOT something you don't tell someone who you're living with!_

_It was a precaution, _Kakashi answered silently, _if you knew about it, I didn't want you to…_ he trailed off as he felt her fury dripping off her in waves. _I know you're a shinobi now, who has proven themselves many times over, but I'm your guardian, and I'll always see you as my young one._ He felt some of her anger leave her, but he knew that she still didn't like being shielded or protected by someone else, especially over some information.

_That's not the only reason I'm angry, _Sara said silently.

Kakashi was utterly baffled, but he felt someone staring, and turned to Naruto, "What?"

"Kakashi-sensei," he started, "It's okay if you can't…Bright Eyes and I can finish this off!"

Realization struck him like a lightning bolt. Both Sara and Naruto were worried that his new Sharingan would drain him of his strength, faster then his regular one. "Sure..." he said, but he quickly smiled, "If you get the chance!"

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted, exhilarated by Kakashi's confidence. Sara couldn't help smiling either.

Kakashi focused on the figure flying above them, _Mangekyo Sharingan! _The space around Deidara started to blur and swirl around the Akatsuki member.

Deidara stared back at the Jinchûriki and the two elite shinobi, _what is this?_ He stared in alarm at his remaining arm, as a vortex began to suck it in.

Sara glanced at Kakashi in wonder and alarm, she could see the strain this jutsu was putting on him as he gasped for breath and sweat dripped down his face.

Deidara was close to panicking now, _ocular jutsu? Oh, no!_ The vortex continued to suck his arm into its depths.

Naruto stopped, clinging to the canyon wall, _wow. This jutsu is amazing!_

Deidara was truly panicking, _my arm? What is this?_

Kakashi thought, _he's too far away, I can't…uh oh…_ He lost control of the vortex, which snapped close, taking Deidara's arm with it. Deidara cried out in pain, while Kakashi covered his eye and grunted as his eye throbbed. _I missed. I can't properly control the position and size of the barrier space. _He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, as he tried to use the Sharingan again, he couldn't get the barrier space to focus on Deidara, who moved out of range.

Naruto was ahead of Kakashi, for once. He and a clone leapt up towards Deidara and sailed towards him, a Rasengan in hand. Deidara leapt away, as Naruto plowed through the neck of the clay bird.

Kakashi sighed, _Yes!_ He glanced to his side, and saw that Sara was standing next to him, her hand on his shoulder, but he could tell she wanted to help Naruto, "Go, I'm all right." She turned to face him, her pupils nothing but slits. Her gaze seemed to bore into him, and after a few seconds, he had to look away, but she seemed to be satisfied that he wasn't going to fall over, because she teleported even as he was blinking.

Naruto made several clones who caught the falling bird head that contained Gaara.

"Gaara!" One of the clones shouted, tearing at the bird.

Kakashi had to release the Mangekyo Sharingan, since it was draining too much of his chakra.

A clone landed next to him and asked, "Kakashi-sensei are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he added silently, _at least I think so…_

It grew silent over where Naruto and his clones were next to the bird's head

Deidara crouched on a tree branch, unaware that he was being watched, _my right arm too…I can't use jutsu anymore…It's to this hmmm? But running into someone with Itachi-level ocular jutsu…not to mention that other annoying kid… This Jinchûriki is nothing…The problem is how to deal with Kakashi and that other one…_

Naruto growled from where he stood next to the clay bird's head, "It's time for you to get hit!"

"Yeah, yeah," Deidara said, "I'll have it out with you another time."

Kakashi scoffed, "You're too careless."

Something slammed into Deidara from above him, pinning him to the branch, while Naruto erupted leapt at him, and slugged him with all his might. The weight disappeared from him in an instant and he went flying towards the ground. Naruto made the hand sign for his signature, Shadow Clone Jutsu, four clones held Deidara to the ground, while Sara stood in the next tree, having been the one who had pinned Deidara earlier. Naruto sailed towards Deidara and began to kick and punch the Akatsuki member with all his might.

**The Ultimate Art**

"Naruto…" Kakashi said, a bit worried, glancing towards Sara, whose expression mirrored his.

Naruto created a Rasengan and slammed it into Deidara, he and his clones gazed in surprise at the clay body in front of them.

_Clay! A substitution, _Kakashi thought.

Any other time, Sara would have been focused on finding the enemy, but her eyes widened in horror as she watched a red, bubbling substance cover Naruto in the shape of the Nine-Tails, but with only one tail.

_That's what Jiraiya was talking about, _Kakashi thought alarmed.

Deidara was hiding under a bush, _what is that? Is that the Jinchûriki? _A second tail emerged, while Sara stood in front of Naruto, walking towards him slowly, as if she were approaching a shinobi whose intentions were unknown, "Naruto?" His eyes flashed towards her, but they were no longer blue, but red, and his pupils were slits, like hers.

"_It might be best to release me now…" _Phoenix suggested.

Sara answered, _"Not yet…" _Phoenix shrieked angrily in response. Naruto's gaze hadn't left her.

Deidara smiled knowingly, _that's why his punches had such impact._

Kakashi stared in alarm at how close Sara was to Naruto, the two were within three feet of each other, _that's not enough time to react if he attacks!_

The clone next to him hit its knees and gasped, "It burns!"

Kakashi glanced towards the clearing, and made to jump, remembering what Jiraiya had told him, _"Be careful. If chakra emanates from Naruto's body and begins to form the Nine-Tailed Fox… Listen…stop it while it still only has one to two tails. Use this. This will seal the chakra immediately…_ Leaping into the clearing, Kakashi thought, _I have to do this already?_ His eyes widened in horror as Naruto leapt at Sara, apparently unable to discern friend from foe.

Sara teleported out of Naruto's path, catching a glimpse of Kakashi, _he's holding something in his hand…_ She appeared behind Naruto and grabbed him underneath his armpits, wrapping her arms over his shoulders, and lifted him off the ground, turning him to face Kakashi, hoping her guardian had something to subdue whatever was going on with her friend.

Kakashi slapped the seal onto Naruto's forehead, and relaxed as Naruto eyes half closed and the red chakra began to disappear. _What did Jiraiya see?_

Sara asked him silently, _"What the hell was that?"_

_"The Nine-Tails chakra…that's about all I know," _Kakashi saw worry flash in her eyes, but she quickly recovered, she said aloud, "So all that remains is finding Deidara?"

He nodded, turning around slightly as someone landed heavily behind him.

Sakura supported Granny Chiyo, and she said, "Finally caught up to you…"

"How did you know we were here?" Kakashi asked, impressed with how much Sakura had matured.

"We saw the enemy fly over," she answered.

Granny Chiyo said, "It seems as though you're having some trouble here…"

Sara jumped as Naruto said softly to her, "Sorry about that, Bright Eyes…I really lost my temper there."

Sara nodded, _he must be pissed at me for not telling him everything…I'll have to explain once this is over…I owe him that much…_

Naruto said to Sakura and Granny Chiyo, "Sakura. You guys did it…"

"Yes," Granny Chiyo said, all business, "But where's Gaara?" She followed Naruto's gaze to the tree where two of Naruto's clones were supporting the Kazekage.

"Good," Granny Chiyo said, nodding.

Deidara was surprised to see the two kunoichi, _I can't believe it… Sasori got taken out by that brat girl and the old bat… Leaving a thing of eternal beauty for the future? Yeah, right. All he did was get killed…hmmm? He was overconfident about that puppet model, even though it fully exposed his weakness… Well, in any case…he died an artist's death….vanity kills…hmmm? _He moved from his hiding place and made to run, when he froze.

Guy and Lee blocked his path. Guy said, "Good job, Neji."

Everyone in the clearing turned when they heard Guy's voice, just seconds before Guy's team erupted into the clearing, chasing Deidara.

Deidara barely managed to dodge three giant shuriken and he thought, a kunai in his mouth, _I won't be able to outrun them._

"Guy's team?" Kakashi commented, surprised.

Deidara shot towards the headless body of his clay bird.

"Everyone, be careful!" Kakashi shouted, "He uses bombs to attack from a distance!"

Guy's team landed several yards away from Deidara and the clay bird, waiting to see what he would do.

Deidara spat out the kunai knife and bit into the bird, ripping a piece away, he swallowed it and his body began to expand, "Let me show you my ultimate art… It's an explosion!"

Neji used his Byakugan, and his eyes widened in horror, _all his chakra is concentrating on one point! _"Everyone, get out of here!" Guy's team leapt away from Deidara, while Kakashi put a hand over his Sharingan eye, as Deidara exploded, releasing a giant blast.

**Jinchûriki's Pain**

Guy's team was struggling to get away from the blast, while Naruto's clones were desperately trying to carry Gaara away from the blast. Neji thought, glancing back at the fiery ball that was quickly approaching, _we're not going to make it!_

Naruto took several steps backward, while Sakura took several steps away as well, trying to get Granny Chiyo away from the blast. Kakashi didn't move, and Sara refused to leave his side.

Smoke surrounded all of them, and a soft sizzling sound was the only noise that could be heard. As the smoke cleared, it revealed all of the shinobi, Guy's team facing away from the blast, while Naruto, Sakura, and Granny Chiyo shielded their eyes from the blast, and Sara and Kakashi were in the same spot, neither having moved.

Naruto and Sakura slowly lowered their arms, while Guy turned around, and asked, bewildered, "What's going on?" Neji, Lee, and Tenten all turned around as well, the two Naruto clones were safe in a tree, Gaara supported between them.

A hole was sealing itself shut, and Kakashi thought, triumphantly, _it worked…_

Guy looked back at Kakashi who met his gaze, almost sheepishly, _a worthy rival…_

Kakashi fell backwards, but Sara caught him, before she could ask, Naruto questioned, "Kakashi-sensei?"

Sara couldn't get a word in edge-wise, which was starting to annoy her as Sakura asked, "What on Earth did you do?"

Kakashi answered, breathing heavily, "I teleported him…and the explosion to another space…" He sat up with difficulty, "Never mind that…is everyone okay…?"

"Yeah, apart from you," Sara answered as Naruto's clones landed on the ground. She asked Kakashi, "Are you able to walk?" He shook his head back and forth.

"Sakura…" One of the clones said, asking a silent question with his gaze. She nodded.

After several minutes of traveling to an open clearing, Sakura was bent over Gaara, checking for the slightest signs of life.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, worried. Sakura removed her hand from Gaara's chest, shaking her head back and forth. Gaara's still form seemed to emphasize her gesture. She stood up slowly and stepped away from the body, while Granny Chiyo stared at the motionless Kazekage, her expression unreadable.

Kakashi turned his head slightly as he heard Sara's fists clench, and he could feel her sorrow as if it were his own, and he leaned against her slightly from his position on the ground, letting her know he was there if she needed him. There was no visible sign though that she was in pain.

Naruto clenched his teeth and tears streamed down his cheeks, "Why Gaara…Why always Gaara?" His fists clenched, "If he dies like this…! He's Kazekage… He's just become KAZEKAGE!"

Granny Chiyo said quietly, "Calm down, Naruto Uzamaki…"

Naruto whipped around, slicking the air with his hand, "SHUT UP!" Granny Chiyo was taken aback, "If you Sand Ninja hadn't put that monster in Gaara none of this would have happened! Did you ever even consider what Gaara thought? Did you ever even ask? You call him a Jinchûriki host?"

Kakashi closed his eyes and bowed his head, and he thought guiltily, _I've never asked either Naruto or Sara how they felt about what they carry within them…_

"Who are you to decide that fate for someone else?" He continued to shout, he had to stop as sobs choked him, and he wiped his eyes. Sakura, Guy, Neji, Tenten, and Lee all watched in silently.

After a few seconds, Sakura said, "Naruto…"

Naruto managed to choke out past his sobs, "I couldn't save Sasuke…I can't save Gaara! For three years I trained like crazy…but nothing has changed."

Sara stepped away from Kakashi and walked up to Naruto, setting a hand on his shoulder, tears streamed down her face, shocking Naruto and everyone else, "Enough," she said softly.

Granny Chiyo stood up, and walked over to Gaara, she placed her wrinkled hands on his chest and began to perform, what looked like a healing jutsu.

Sakura shouted, recognizing the jutsu, "Granny Chiyo…that jutsu!" Granny Chiyo merely grinned at her. _Granny Chiyo…_

Naruto and Sara both wiped their eyes, Naruto asked, "What's she doing?"

Neji studied the jutsu with his Byakugan, _medical ninjutsu? No…_

Sakura thought back to what Granny Chiyo had told her after they had defeated Sasori, _"There's still something I must do…"_ _This is what she meant…_ Sakura thought realization striking her, _in exchange for her life…._

Guy said, "That's…"

"Yeah…" Kakashi didn't need Guy to finish; he knew exactly what Guy meant. He studied the jutsu with his Sharingan, copying the jutsu.

"What're you doing?" Naruto demanded.

"She's going to bring Gaara back," Sakura answered.

**Power & Miracles!**

"Bring back to life?" Naruto questioned, staring at Granny Chiyo in awe, "Can she really do that?"

"Only Granny Chiyo can perform this jutsu," Sakura said softly.

Neji was studying Granny Chiyo's flow of chakra; that_ chakra flow…such a jutsu requires…_

_Commensurate risk…_ Kakashi thought, continuing to copy the jutsu with his Sharingan.

Granny Chiyo winced and the chakra around her hands began to shrink in size, "No!" Granny Chiyo cried out, "not enough chakra."

"Please, use my chakra," Naruto said, startling her, "Is that possible Granny…"

Granny Chiyo nodded and addressed Sara, "You can help too…" She remembered her conversation with Kakashi, and how he had explained why the two young shinobi had tried so hard to save Gaara. "Both of you, place your hands over mine." Both young ninja did as she said.

Sakura stared sadly at the trio as they hunched over Gaara _…Naruto…Sara…_

Granny Chiyo spoke sagely as she continued the jutsu with the aid of Sara and Naruto, "In this shinobi world created by frivolous old people…I'm glad new souls like you have come along…" Naruto and Sara glanced up at her in surprise, "Up 'til now, everything I've done has been wrong… But at the very end…I think I might finally be able to do something right. Sand and Leaf…May their future be something different from our time." She turned looked at Naruto, "This special power of yours…Kakashi spoke of it…that power will change the future dramatically… Become a Hokage the likes of which has never been seen! And Sakura in the future, don't save a dying granny like me…help those you truly care about…you're a lot like me… So few women possess such a strong spirit…you'll likely surpass your teacher…" She looked at Sara, "And Sara, you're another with a strong spirit, stronger then I've seen in years, you're dedicated to protecting your friends and to your training, keep on that path, and help your friend," her gaze shifted to Naruto, "to achieve his dream…" Sara nodded her gaze solemn. "Naruto…Sara…I have a favor to ask of you…you're the only people who know Gaara's pain…Gaara also knows your pain…Please look after Gaara…"

Naruto and Sara both remained silent, but they closed their eyes. Both of them could picture themselves as young shinobi, surrounded by the people they cared about including some that were no longer alive. The pair stood in between Kakashi and the Third Hokage. Naruto glanced between a gap in the group and tapped Sara's shoulder as he shoved his way through the group, Sara on his heels. _Gaara…Gaara!_

Gaara's consciousness was beginning to stir, _who…who are they calling? Who…? This hand…Oh…it's my hand…My hand…me…?_

Naruto paused in his mad dash as Sara stopped, "Bright Eyes?"

"Go on," she said smiling, "I'll make sure you can find your way back." She stood halfway between the group they had just left and Gaara. Naruto nodded before continuing to approach Gaara.

_Me…_ Gaara continued to think, _who…am…I? I'm…_ A hand touched his shoulder and he turned around to see a smiling Naruto, while another stood a ways back, waiting for them to come back…

"Gaara," Naruto said relief evident in his words. Sara stood a few feet behind him, relief showing in her gaze, though she remained silent.

Gaara stared in bewilderment at the blond ninja in front of him, "Naruto…" His gaze swept over the entire clearing, his bewilderment increasing as he stared, wide eyed, at all of the Sand shinobi that had arrived at the clearing. "What's this?" He questioned, in shock now.

Naruto smiled, but Sara beat him to answering Gaara's question as she stepped forward, "We all came running to your rescue."

**Trust!**

"You had us worried," Sara said, smiling as she took a step forward. Gaara stared at her, still in shock.

Kankuro stepped out from the crowd and snorted, "You sure did. You caused us a ton of grief, little brother."

"Don't act so superior," Temari scolded him as she emerged from the crowd, "Gaara is Kazekage. Shut all your mouths. You brats." Kankuro, Naruto, and Sara all gave her a dirty look. Temari shoved Naruto aside, "Gaara, how are you feeling?"

Gaara tried to stand, but he grunted with pain as his body refused to rise.

"You shouldn't move too suddenly," Temari said, sounding mother like, "your body hasn't completely recovered from the rigor mortis yet."

Sara turned as a loud smack sounded from a group of Sand ninja behind them. A women shouted, "Lord Gaara wouldn't die so easily!" She continued in a dreamy voice, "Lord Gaara is a silent, cool, strong, and handsome warrior…"

Another kunoichi beside her said, "Yes, yes. And he's cute too, but he's Kazekage…"

Sara didn't like where this conversation was going and narrowed her pupils, activating her Devil's Eyes, determined not to be trampled or shoved aside by Gaara's new fans.

As she expected the two kunoichi charged forward, "I'll protect you from your enemies!"

"No I will," the other insisted as she shoved Naruto out of the way. Sara smiled satisfied. The first kunoichi had taken one look at her and had decided to go around.

Naruto grumbled from his new position on the ground, "come to think of it, I'm still a genin…" He shot a nasty look towards Sara, _SHE has a lot of explaining to do!_

Kankuro approached Naruto, and crouched down beside him, "Hey, cheer up… Girls are always attracted to the cool, elite types."

"I think Shikamaru said something like that too…" Naruto mused, "But then again, he's dating, Bright Eyes, so I don't get it!"

A brief silence spanned between them, but Kankuro eventually broke it, "Thanks…Naruto."

Naruto gazed towards Granny Chiyo, who Sakura was holding, her head bowed, and Grampa Ebizo stood next to her, "You should thank Granny, not me. She saved him with an awesome medical ninjutsu."

Kankuro gazed at Granny Chiyo, who was apparently, asleep, _did Granny Chiyo use that jutsu?_

Naruto said smiling, "She was tired and fell asleep, but she'll be fine when she gets home…"

"No," Kankuro said, cutting him off.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

Kankuro explained, "It wasn't medical ninjutsu. It was a transference technique…Granny Chiyo is dead."

Naruto glanced at Sara, who's eyes were closed, _Bright Eyes knew...but that's impossible, Granny can't be dead!_ "What are you talking about?"

"It's a jutsu to resurrect someone…in exchange for your own life."

Sara's eyes snapped open and she glared at Kakashi, who had enough sense to look away from her scorching gaze, _"You copied it!" _Kakashi didn't deny her silent accusation, nor did he respond in any way. She continued to glare at him.

Kankuro continued to explain, "At one time, the Sand's puppet master corps was involved in the secret development of a technique that would breathe actual life into puppets…Granny Chiyo led that project. They managed to devise a theory for the technique but…midway through because the risk was so high… Before a human experiment was even conducted, the technique was banned and sealed."

Naruto stared at him wide eyed, remembering Granny Chiyo's final words, _"This special power of yours…Kakashi spoke of it…That power will change the future dramatically…become a Hokage the like of which has never been seen!"_

Sakura stared grief stricken at Granny Chiyo's motionless form, and she hugged the old woman who she had only known for a short time, but who she felt like she had known her whole life, _Granny Chiyo…_

Ebizo said, "She looks so peaceful…"

"Yes," Sakura agreed.

Gaara stared at Granny Chiyo, while Temari said to Naruto, "Naruto, like I thought…you're definitely different. You have the power to change people… Granny Chiyo used to say that she didn't care at all about the village's future. She wasn't the kind of person who would do something like this for Gaara…"

Kakashi said, gazing at all of the young shinobi, Leaf and Sand, "Granny Chiyo entrusted the future to all of you, and knew that you would make a better one then the present… It was a death befitting a shinobi."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, same as the old man, Third Hokage…"

"That's true," Kakashi said, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah," Naruto said, smiling slightly, "Now I get what Granny wished for!"

Gaara looked thoughtful for a minute before he closed his eyes and stood up. One of the kunoichis from earlier exclaimed, "Lord Gaara!"

"I'm fine," Gaara said, brushing her away. Naruto grabbed Gaara under the arm and helped him to stand. They both approached Sakura, Sara trailing a few steps behind them. Sakura looked up in surprise at their approach, Gaara said, "Everyone…pray for Granny Chiyo."

**While You've Been Gone…**

All of the Leaf shinobi, along with Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara stood silently near Granny Chiyo's gravestone that was in the shape of the Hidden Sand Village's symbol. Sara, Naruto, and Sakura stood closest to it, silently grieving over the loss of the elder.

Kakashi called, lifting his arm stiffly, "Sakura, Naruto, Sara, time to go."

"Right," Naruto said, purposely hitting Sara with his pack as he slung it over his shoulder.

_I guess I deserved that,_ Sara thought as she shouldered her own pack after casting one last look at Granny Chiyo's headstone. "You coming, Sakura?" She questioned as she followed Naruto.

Sakura nodded, before walking to the headstone and placing her hand on it, before moving away, _thank you…Granny Chiyo…._

After being escorted out of the Sand Village by Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, those of team Kakashi and those of the Sand who were present, began to say their goodbyes.

"So long," Kankuro said, and Temari nodded to them.

Naruto said, "Yeah…" He and Gaara looked at each other for a brief minute, before Naruto said, uncomfortably, "I guess this is where we're supposed to shake hands or something but…I'm not really good at these things so…let's just…" He stopped talking as he felt something tugging at his hand while Gaara extended his right hand out to him. Naruto glanced at his hand and saw that some sand was trying to pull it forward. Naruto smiled and shook hands with the Kazekage.

Gaara addressed both Naruto and Sara, "Take care."

"You bet!" Naruto said, slinging his pack once more, and hitting Sara with it again. She staggered slightly, but she didn't fall, and she rolled her eyes, before nodding to Gaara. She followed Naruto and the others as they all set out towards home.

Soon Naruto, Sakura, and Sara were in the lead, Guy and Kakashi were trailing at the back, since Kakashi could barely move.

After a half hour of silence, Naruto turned angrily to Sara, "You have a lot of explaining to do! Like why the hell an Akatsuki member called you the Shadow Wolf!"

Sara sighed and said quietly, "There's a lot that has to be explained then, starting from a few months after you left…"

"We're not going to get home anytime soon," Naruto said darkly, glancing back at Guy and Kakashi who were trailing behind them.

Sakura hated to add fuel to the flame, but she admitted, "I'm also curious to hear what you were doing while Naruto and I were training… Plus I want to hear how you got your nickname as well."

Sara sighed again, "Well…To start with, even before I became a jônin, I went on several missions as a chûnin including one with Iruka, and another with Shikamaru… I met Kenshin Nara and Ryo Morino during the Jônin Exams, where I led them in the second exam and the third exam, while helping them out in the first exam. The same day I passed the Jônin Exam, Kabuto tried to kill me, just because I was a possible problem when it came to Sasuke. Obviously he failed, but that was thanks to Master Kakashi. Once I was a jônin though, in between going on missions, Kakashi had me train with Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai, so I could learn from other teachers to help with my jutsu. During my time as a jônin, Kakashi and I began to get snappier at each other, he didn't like how much I was progressing…let me finish!" Naruto had been about to interrupt, but Sara cut him off, "And I didn't like how overbearing he was, and how I was in his shadow…people always knew his name, while I was just considered, 'Kakashi's student'. It annoyed me!"

Sakura interrupted her, taking advantage of her brief silence, "Wait! You said during your time as a jônin, but you're a jônin right now!"

"I'm not done yet," Sara answered, her gaze staring off into the distance at something only she could see, "It wasn't too long after I became a jônin that I was asked to be the Head of the Anbu Black Ops…"

Sakura and Naruto shouted in perfect unison, "WHAT?"

She began to unwind the tape on her shoulder, revealing the Anbu tattoo, before Sakura or Naruto could argue about the placement of the tattoo, "The guy who gave me the tattoo figured I was too young to be an Anbu, so he placed it on my left shoulder instead of the right, as is traditional for female Anbu members." She paused, her gaze once again staring at something only she could see, "Kakashi was furious when I told him I was going to be the Head Anbu…he even told me not to come back if I took the position, and I took his words to heart…But he wasn't the only pain in the ass. My uncle, Enaki, gave me hell until I earned his respect, then he was as loyal a second in command as he had been to Yusuke, Kakashi, and Hanashi before me. Ryo and Kenshin eventually joined the Black Ops as well…On one mission, I met up with Itachi and Kisame…" Sakura inhaled sharply while Naruto's eyes widened in shock, "Itachi, not realizing who I was promised not to kill me...when he found out who I was, he let Kisame rough me up quite a bit…I've had muscle spasms ever since that encounter, though they're now few in number, I used to have them on a regular basis. When I have these spasms, it causes me pain if anyone touches me, even if it's a gentle touch…After that mission, Kai, who thought he would dislike me because of my father, decided that I was nothing like my father and figured he could be an uncle to me just like Enaki and Yusuke…Things seemed to be going okay for me…that is until I met another pair of Akatsuki members…"

Sara clenched her fists and her eyes became filled with grief and Naruto and Sakura exchanged an anxious look before Sakura said, "Sara, you don't…"

She pushed on, ignoring Sakura, "A mission came that I had to go on, even if I was, handicapped, Tsunade had specifically said that I had to go. Enaki didn't want me to though, but I ignored his advice. I took several other Black Ops, including Ryo with, to confront these Akatsuki members…we were not prepared for those two at all." Sara closed her eyes, "They slaughtered many of the Anbus I had taken with, and I ended up getting a spasm at a crucial moment in the battle as one of them, who was wielding a scythe, named Hidan, rushed at me, I figured that be the end of me…" She slowly began to cover the tattoo on her left shoulder again, "Enaki stepped in front of me, blocking the attack…he died before we could even get him back to the village…I couldn't even tell Tiégra when I knocked on her door to explain what had happened."

"Bright Eyes," Naruto said softly, forgetting his anger. He had known something had happened to Enaki, but he had not known the details, now that he did, he felt his friend's pain as if it were his own.

"I was relieved of duty after that," Sara stated, "Tsunade thought it was for the best considering I had gone from being semi healthy, to being sick and unable to keep any food down. After losing Enaki I wanted nothing to do with those I cared about. I didn't want others putting themselves in front of me again, simply because I couldn't protect myself…But Kai, who took over from me briefly, knew I needed a place to stay…It turned out that Kakashi had written a letter to me a week after I had become the Head Anbu, apologizing, and saying I had a home if I ever needed one or wanted one… This was perfect in Kai's eyes, not in mine though. I wanted to break my bond with Kakashi, not strengthen it. Plus, the villagers slandered me, and eventually I…" She paused trying to find the right words to use, "I…hid…within myself, aware of what was going on, but not feeling anything… Kakashi became desperate and took me to the Land of Waves…when he went to leave though, I became selfish, and I didn't want him to leave. At first he thought I was getting better, but when it became apparent that I wasn't, he took me to the Land of Snow, where eventually, he had had it…"

Naruto and Sakura stared at her tensely, waiting for her to continue, when she finally did, it wasn't where they had expected her to continue, "After some sense had been talked into me, courtesy of Kakashi, we took a brief vacation before returning to the village. Kakashi had me continue my training, adding in some stretches that helped my muscles so the spasms wouldn't occur as often, and he began to train me in the jutsu he had copied over the years, as well as having Tsunade train me for a day, along with my previous teachers from before I became an Anbu…Tsunade wasn't sure what rank I should be placed at though, so she put me on several jônin ranked missions, after which, it was determined that I would be a jônin from then on, though it had to be approved by the Jônin Council. The council agreed with her, and it was then discovered, that during my year or so of being Head Anbu, our enemies had begun to call me the Shadow Wolf, because of the glint of eyes, though it was actually my weapons, that they would see before they were killed…"

Naruto and Sakura stared at her in amazement. Sakura finally said, "Wow!"

"That doesn't explain why you didn't tell me!" Naruto snapped, his anger finally coming back.

Sara answered, "You were so upset about me being a jônin I figured you wouldn't take it too well if you learned I had been Head Anbu while you were gone while also earning a nickname!"

"Touché," Naruto said, already over his anger. "I'm glad you got better after Enaki's death though, Bright Eyes."

"It still hurts to talk about it," Sara admitted, "but I learned so much from him and everyone else, it would be a disgrace to his memory if I didn't continue on."

"What did he teach you?" Sakura asked.

Sara said, "Though a bit…gruesome, he taught me how to kill with only one blow, using only Taijutsu." Both Naruto and Sakura stared at her in awe.

Naruto sighed, "Here I thought I would catch up to you while I was training with Pervy Sage, only to find you're still better then I am."

Sara laughed, "I'm not better then you, Naruto, or Sakura, I'm just more experienced now."

"Still," Sakura muttered, "it'd be nice if we were in your league."

Sara laughed at this before she focused on the path that led home, Naruto and Sakura flanked her on both sides, smiling. Sara thought, glancing at both of them, _I'm glad we're on a squad again, and that even after we've been apart we're still friends._ Her pupils narrowed with her next thought, _Orochimaru better pray that we can't get Sasuke back!_ Another thought entered her mind, but she shoved it away, unwilling to deal with it at that precise moment. She glanced back at Guy and Kakashi as she could hear Guy straining to remain at the slow pace he was being forced to walk at.

Tenten didn't help the situation by calling out, "Masters, you're so slow!"

"Sorry, Guy," Kakashi said, trying to keep Guy from doing something rash, "The Mangekyo Sharingan takes a lot out of me…It's going to be awhile before I can move on my own again…"

"Okay then!" Guy said cheerfully throwing Kakashi into the air.

Kakashi couldn't believe what was happening as he shouted, "Hey! Wait!"

Everyone stopped and turned to see what had caused Kakashi to make such a ruckus. What they saw worried them quite a bit. Guy had moved his pack so it sat over his chest, while Kakashi was on his back, looking like he wanted to be somewhere else…anywhere else but where he was.

He silently begged Sara, _"Kill me now, just kill me now!"_

_"Sorry, no can do, but I can make sure he doesn't overdue things," _she answered.

Naruto wondered, _what are they doing?_

_Are they playing piggyback?_ Sakura wondered, _that's just weird…_

_What?_ Tenten was utterly bewildered by Guy's behavior.

Lee on the other hand was thinking, _brilliant, Guy-sensei! A training drill!_

Guy gave them all his smile, and announced, "Okay people now we're moving!" He laughed hysterically as he took off like a shot, "Hope you all can keep up!"

Sakura thought, _okay…this looks even weirder in motion…_ She turned when she heard Sara swore.

Sara turned to Naruto and Sakura and asked, "Who doesn't want to carry their pack?"

"Are you serious? You're…" Sakura started to say.

Sara, however, cut her off quickly, "No! I just know how Guy thinks and I need to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid…like knock Master Kakashi's head against a tree when we finally get near the village!"

Sakura pulled off her pack and tossed it to Sara, who moved her own pack so it was over her chest, she placed Sakura's over her back and took off like a shot.

Meanwhile, Lee said, as he leaned forward a bit, "Neji…?"

Neji knew exactly what he meant, "No, thank you!"

After traveling for three days, barely stopping, thanks to Guy, the two ninja at the gate were discussing how it was unfair that Tsunade got a chance to sleep, while they were constantly working on the job. They turned as a pillar of dust was quickly approaching them. They coughed as the dust surrounded them; it revealed Guy standing triumphantly, while an unconscious Kakashi was leaning precariously backwards, "First!" Guy proclaimed as Sara slid to a halt just behind him, so she could catch Kakashi, who looked like he was about to fall from Guy's back. Sara had a look on her face that said Guy should have been six feet under by now. Lee slid to halt just behind Sara and announced, "Second!"

Guy chastened him, "No, Lee, you're not second, you're fourth!"

"What?" Lee was stunned by this news.

Kakashi fell off Guy's back then as Guy moved to explain to Lee, why he had been fourth, Sara tried to catch her guardian, but only ended up cushioning his fall, her leg muscles were sore from keeping up with such a fast pace, and she was exhausted thus falling to the ground as well. She thought as Neji, Tenten, Naruto, and Sakura finally arrived, _when they get Master Kakashi off of me…I'm killing Guy!_

**_Updates will be sporadic from now on, since Part 3 is currently in progress on Quizilla, so there will be a bit of a wait for new parts on here._**


	3. Part 3

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

_**Recap: Team Kakashi has just returned from the Sand Village after rescuing Gaara from the Akatsuki, though losing Granny Chiyo, the Leaf Village shinobi have returned to their village in relatively good shape, apart from Kakashi, who overused his Sharingan. What new challenges await Team Kakashi?**_

**Team Members Wanted**

"Ugh…Again with the bed rest?" Kakashi complained to Sara, one week after returning from the Sand Village.

Sara rolled her eyes, "If you hadn't overused your NEW Sharingan, you wouldn't be here."

"You're not going to let it go are you?" He questioned, gazing at her.

Sara said sarcastically, "You not telling me about a NEW Sharingan that drains you faster then the previous one? No, why would I be mad!"

Kakashi groaned, "Is that the reason you didn't visit me for a week, leaving me to count the ceiling tiles?"

"No," Sara said, her tone softening, "our slave driver of a Hokage has been keeping me busy."

Kakashi laughed, "So, any news on what you guys are doing about that meeting with Orochimaru's spy?"

"No," Sara answered, "Not that I'm aware of."

"You'd better find out soon," Kakashi said, closing his eyes. He added groggily, "Get out of here, I need more rest."

Sara said, smiling happily, "Sure, old man!" She teleported out of the room.

"I'm not that old!" Kakashi complained to the thin air, knowing full well she was gone.

She reappeared a second later waving a book casually. Kakashi groaned, it was _Make-Out Tactics, _which he had yet to finish. "Please tell me you're leaving that here?"

"Yeah," Sara said as she set the book down on the table where he could reach it without overextending himself, "Plus, I figure Naruto or Sakura can fill me in as to when we're leaving and who will be filling in for you, granted, I think I'd do fine leading the squad." She scowled, knowing full well that the elders had already told both her and Tsunade no.

Kakashi sighed, "I know it still irks you, but you have to give these things time."

"Stupid old farts," Sara grumbled. She brightened up a bit as she added, "But I also thought you'd like my company for a little longer…even if I did call you old." Kakashi chuckled as they continued to talk about various things.

Meanwhile, at the Hokage's Mansion, outside on the balcony, Tsunade asked, "Can you trust the information? What if it's a trap?"

Shizune added, "Maybe the Akatsuki is using Orochimaru's name as bait to lure us to this Tenchi Bridge where they'll ambush us?"

"If it IS a trap," Sakura stated, "then we fight!"

Tsunade said thoughtfully, "Yes, but Kakashi will be out of commission for over a week now, and there are only six days left until the rendezvous." She thought angrily, _if those old fools would only allow me to place Sara in charge of this mission it wouldn't be as difficult!_ "So the only solution is to assemble a new team…"

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said quietly.

Tsunade looked at her, "What is it?"

"In that case, why not just deploy a different cell?" She suggested, "And even if you decide to send Sakura along with them I feel Naruto should be removed from this mission!"

Sakura demanded, shocked by Shizune's proposition, "What about Sara? You didn't mention her!"

"She could go on a different mission, she is of the jônin rank after all," Shizune stated calmly.

Tsunade said, before Sakura could try to argue, "Like you, Shizune, Sakura is among the very few shinobi I trust implicitly. This mission MUST involve the remaining members of Team Kakashi."

Shizune was slightly affronted, "You don't think my cell can handle it?"

"Frankly?" Tsunade said, "No." This through Shizune and Sakura for a loop.

"This is more then just a mission to Team Kakashi. It's personal," Tsunade elaborated, "Sasuke is not merely their former teammate. He's their friend. They've pledged their lives to rescuing him. Their desire to honor that pledge is why they will succeed, and why your squad, Shizune, might not."

Shizune looked away and said resignedly, "Understood, but I still think Naruto…"

Tsunade cut her off, "What do you think NARUTO would say to that?" She glanced at the rooftop, and Shizune whirled around in confusion.

Naruto stood poised on the edge of the roof, and stood looking down at them, his arms crossed, "I'd say we need to get some new teammates!" He leapt down, flipping in the air, and landing on the railing that Tsunade was leaning against, "See ya!" He called before he leapt into the air, out towards the village.

Tsunade sighed, "So impatient…I'm not finished yet." She pushed away from the rail, "We will fill the two vacancies left by Kakashi and Sasuke, please inform Naruto and Sara."

"Yes, milady," Sakura said, walking back into the building, not feeling like jumping off the railing like Naruto had.

"Tsunade," a somewhat frail voice called. Tsunade turned to see the female elder, "We need to talk. Come with me, please."

Once they were in the Hokage's Mansion, relaxing on couches, the elders got right to the point. The female elder said, "We have been receiving periodic reports from Shizune." Shizune looked away from Tsunade uncomfortably, as Tsunade turned to gaze at her, her expression not happy.

"Henceforth," the male elder said, "Naruto Uzamaki must not be dispatched on missions that might bring him into contact with the Akatsuki. In addition, assign two accomplished shinobi to remain at his side at all times. Not only will this serve to better protect him, but it will restore Team Kakashi to the numbers it is used to functioning with."

The female elder added, "And do try to cut back as much as possible his overall number of missions; the more limited the scope of his activities the better."

Meanwhile, while Sara was still keeping Kakashi company, Naruto was muttering to himself, "Hmm…who would be good for the job…?"

"Long time no see, Naruto," A boy clad in a gray jacket and wearing black shirt and pants, sunglasses covering his eyes said, stepping away from the tree he had been leaning against.

"Do I know you?" Naruto questioned, thinking the boy looked and sounded familiar but not entirely sure.

"It's me!" The boy said irritably.

Naruto pointed at him and said indignantly, "Like I said, DO I KNOW YOU?"

With extreme patience, Shino said, "I know it's been a while, but you should at least try to remember your friends, you know." Or else, it just hurts the other person's feelings."

Realization struck Naruto, "I know that irritating voice! Don't tell me…Shino?"

"Finally," Shino said, exasperated with Naruto already, "You remembered."

"FOOL, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RECOGNIZE YOU WITH YOUR FACE HIDDEN LIKE THAT?" Naruto demanded.

"Shino, you're early," another familiar voice called from above, followed by a whooshing sound. Naruto glanced up and watched as Kiba and Akamaru landed next to Shino with a loud whomp.

Naruto was stunned, "K-Kiba?"

"Hey! Naruto, it was you after all!" Kiba exclaimed, happy to see the knuckle head. Naruto smiled slightly as Kiba dismounted from atop Akamaru's back, "I thought I recognized your scent!"

"That's what you recognized?" Naruto questioned. Akamaru barked loudly. The puppy had grown over the past few years, his head now reached Kiba's chest.

Naruto pointed at Akamaru and asked in disbelief, "That dog…he can't be…"

"Come on!" Kiba interrupted him, "Of course it's Akamaru! But hey, did you grow or something?"

"Me!" Naruto exclaimed, "Akamaru's the one that grew. I didn't know dogs like him could get that big so fast!"

Kiba glanced at Akamaru, "Really? Guess I never noticed because he's always with me…"

"How could you not notice?" Naruto muttered, his voice rising in volume as he spoke "He used to sit on top of you head!" He glanced nervously at Shino, who had been quiet, "Right, Shino?"

"You recognized Kiba right away…Naruto," Shino said, his tone indescribable.

Naruto grumbled, "Shoot…now he's mad at me…" A scream of surprise sounded behind him and he turned around only to find that no one was behind him. He made his way towards the spot where he thought the scream had come from, he peeked around the corner of the fence and said, "Oh, it's you Hinata! Are you hiding over here?" Hinata fainted. "Uh…Hinata?"

Kiba commented, "Ever notice how she always faints in front of Naruto?"

"You also recognized Hinata right away, Naruto," Shino stated, obviously annoyed.

Back at the hospital, Sara turned towards the window as a tapping noise came from it, "Really? Even when I'm here she still manages to find me!"

"You have to go, you know that," Kakashi said, happy that she had visited him.

"I know," she picked up _Make-Out Tactics_, as she made for the door.

Kakashi practically whined, "I thought you were going to leave that here!"

She smiled mischievously, "Consider me taking this payback for you not telling me about your new Sharingan." Kakashi groaned as she left his room.

Back in the village, Naruto was once again muttering to himself, "Well, there go those choices…Team Kurenai's already on assignment… At this rate, the only ones left to ask are…" He stood in front of the Chûnin Exam Planning Committee building, Shikamaru was standing outside it.

After Naruto had explained the situation, Shikamaru said, "I **told** you…it's a huge bother, but I'm on the staff for the Chûnin Exam. I mean…I know we go way back, and I really want to help you out, but…I'm not in a position where I can just do whatever I like. You have to understand." Naruto was sulking now, "It's the Fifth Hokage's orders. And after my mom, there's only so much female scolding I can take."

They both turned as a familiar voice said, "Then allow ME to pick up the slack."

Choji said, "Hey, Shikamaru! Here's that lunch box your mom asked me to deliver." He held out a small, wrapped bento box.

"Choji!" Naruto shouted happily. Choji had allowed his hair to grow out, and he now wore a red, armored-style clothing.

Shikamaru questioned, "Choji…what are you doing here? I thought you were on assignment with Master Asuma and Ino?"

"Yeah, but I can't just leave Naruto hanging," Choji argued, "I can ask Master Asuma for advice."

"Thanks, Choji!" Naruto said, giving Choji a thumbs up.

Shikamaru sighed, "I'm telling you it's useless to ask Asuma, Lady Tsunade is his superior."

Choji pulled out a bag of chips, choosing to ignore Shikamaru. Naruto laughed, "Always eating, just like old times." He was oblivious to the oncoming danger from behind him, "Didn't know it was possible but it looks like you've even gained weight." Shikamaru slammed into Naruto, "HEY!"

Choji expanded the size of his left arm and punched an oncoming black and white creature. When Choji punched it, ink spattered everywhere. The three of them didn't have time to dwell on this fact as a second ink creature leapt at them. Shikamaru and Naruto ducked, as Choji caught the creature and squeezed it till it splattered into ink.

"Look over there," Shikamaru said, now that they could see their enemy clearly perched on an awning. He sent his shadow forward towards the enemy.

Naruto covered his eyes from the glare of the sun as he tried to get a good look at their opponent, "I don't recognize him…but he's got a Leaf Village headband!"

Shikamaru focused on the enemy, "He came out of nowhere, I don't know what he wants, but someone like that, you capture first…and then hand over to the Torture and Interrogation Squad!"

The unknown shinobi swiped his brush across a scroll in his lap.

"Naruto, I'll cover you! Go!" Shikamaru ordered.

Naruto charged forward, "Okay!" Six more ink beasts erupted from the scroll and Naruto paused in his charge, getting ready to make Shadow Clones.

Shikamaru shouted, "Keep moving, Naruto!" Naruto glanced back at him, but did as he said. Shikamaru made the necessary hand signs, _Art of the Shadow Stitching!_ His shadow rose off the ground spreading out into thick, thread-like spears that pierced all of the creatures. Naruto leapt into the air, a kunai flying out of his sleeve to try and get a hit on the unknown boy, but the boy was faster. He whipped his katana off his back and blocked Naruto's strike.

Up close, the boy was dressed entirely in black, but his shirt was too short, exposing his stomach, his skin was deathly pale, as close to white as any skin can get.

Naruto demanded, "Who are you?"

"You're pretty weak," the boy said, ignoring Naruto's question, "Are you a boy or girl?"

**Tsunade's Orders**

Back at the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade snapped, "Absolutely not!"

"Tsunade," the female elder scolded, "Naruto is no ordinary child."

"He is a Jinchûriki!" The male elder added for emphasis, "Normally we would never even send him outside the village, and he'd be kept under surveillance at all times, along with being kept well away from Phoenix's host, so we're already offering you a compromise."

"I'm in favor of placing two more members on Team Kakashi, but you've already made it difficult for me to pick a squad leader that will function well with the team, and you cannot impose any more restrictions on Naruto, the boy will go stir crazy! Besides, so long as Naruto remains in one place, all of the Leaf Village is in danger. Sooner or later the Akatsuki will come for him, and it'll be the Sand Village all over again…however, a moving target is hardest to hit, which is why we must keep Naruto in the field as long and often as possible, and having a former Head of the Anbu Black Ops at his side only increase his chances. Naruto does have talent. Someday he will be a great asset to the village…"

The male elder interrupted her before she could continue, "Someday…that is your argument, Tsunade? And you have the nerve to call yourself Hokage?"

Tsunade slammed her foot on the ground and shouted, "Look! I'm trying to compromise here too! I've already compromised on not having Sara act as squad leader! What more we can't impose anything else on this team! Especially not what you've suggested!"

The male elder said, "Compromise will not spare the lives of the citizens of this village once the Akatsuki have extracted the Nine Tails from Naruto. Tell me, **Lady Hokage**, what guarantees can you give that such a tragedy will never come to pass?"

Tsunade thought back to when she had first met Naruto and Sara, how both of them had protected her against Kabuto, refusing to give in, even though they were both injured. She also thought of the necklace she had given him, "Naruto…will not fall! I believe in him!"

"And if you are mistaken? What then?" The female elder questioned.

Tsunade said, "IF the Leaf Village and subsequently the Land of Fire are endangered because of me… Then I swear, as the Fifth Hokage, to protect them with all my might. And my very own life…"

Both elders sighed resignedly, unable to argue with Tsunade. The male elder said, "As you wish, then…a compromise… To honor your faith in him, Naruto shall be allowed to remain in active duty… However, WE shall select the additional shinobi who are to join Team Kakashi, and our decision with Sara leading the squad still stands."

Tsunade closed her eyes, resigned as well, "Done."

"Danzo, enter!" The female elder called. Tsunade whipped around as an old man with black hair, a bandage over his right eye, and his right arm missing, a cane in his left hand, came into the room.

Tsunade practically growled, "Danzo…"

"Hello, Princess. Been a long time," Danzo said in greeting, putting all the scorn possible on the word "Princess".

"If you're here," Tsunade reasoned, "then that must mean one of the new team members is from The Foundation of the Black Ops…"

In the village, Naruto leapt away from the unknown shinobi and he snapped, "Spill it! Who are you?"

The boy leapt high into the air as Shikamaru's Shadow Possession came within an inch of his foot, "All in due time, Naruto. All in due time…"

"Hey, wait!" Naruto shouted angrily as the boy disappeared in a swirl of ink.

Shikamaru asked no one in particular, "Who was that guy?"

"Choji!" Choji turned as he heard Ino calling his name, "How'd I know I'd find you here?" Ino's hair had grown back since the Chûnin Exam that Naruto participated in, some of her hair covered her right eye. She still wore purple clothes, but she now wore a sleeveless top that left her stomach exposed, and a skirt, along with mesh style arm and leg warmers. "Master Asuma's looking for you," she continued in a scolding tone.

"Sorry, Ino," Choji explained, "some weirdo suddenly attacked us.

Ino shaded her eyes against the sun, searching for the "weirdo", "Who? Naruto?"

"No, no! Not him! Uh…" Choji tried to elaborate, but Ino was oblivious.

She called out, waving, "Hey, Naruto! Long time no see!"

"Save your breath, Choji," Shikamaru said, "it's so not worth it."

Meanwhile, an hour after Sara had left the hospital, she was still waiting outside the Hokage's Office. She thought, thoroughly annoyed, _she summoned me here, the least she could do is see me at a decent time!_

In the Hokage's Office, an Anbu stood in front of Tsunade, listening as she explained the details of his mission, "Danzo insisted that I assign an Anbu from those assigned directly to me, and the elders agree to those terms…I had no choice but to agree…And so…that's why I need you to fill in for your predecessor. You're the best choice for the job as far as I'm concerned."

"Master Kakashi?" The Anbu questioned, his mask was that of a cat, crescent moons framed the eyes of the mask, and stripes went all along the sides horizontally. "Those are huge shoes to fill. I am greatly honored."

Tsunade said, "Understand this will not be a Black Ops mission, but a regular mission. Therefore, you must remove your mask and be assigned a code name." The Anbu began to pull off his mask, "While on this mission, you will call yourself, Yamato."

"Understood," he said, as he pulled his mask completely off, revealing a unique headband. The plate of the headband covered not only his forehead but the sides of his face as well; the neck of his shirt covered most of his chin.

"There's one more thing that you need to know right now," Tsunade said quietly, "A new face from The Foundation, the Black Ops training division is also assigned to Team Kakashi. You must…"

"Yes?" Yamato questioned, wanting her to get to the point.

"Keep a close eye on him," Tsunade finished.

Yamato asked, "And the reason for this?"

"Danzo selected this newcomer…and Danzo…is not only a member of the Hawk Faction that once opposed the Third Hokage, but also the founder of The Foundation. Surely you've heard of him…though The Foundation has sine been dissolved, and Danzo removed…I can't help but be suspicious of his motives."

"No disrespect, milady, but might you be overreacting," Yamato questioned.

"Perhaps…but no matter…Go join your new cell."

"Yes, ma'am!" Yamato said, disappearing in a puff of smoke, just as an angry sounding pound came from Tsunade's office door.

"Enter!" Tsunade said. Sara stalked in, her gaze furious. "I'm glad you're here..."

"I wouldn't have guessed from how long I've been waiting!" Sara snapped, not in the best of moods.

Tsunade's gaze turned steely and Sara quickly reined in her temper, "I wanted to see you about your mission, it concerns Sasuke…"

"Yes," Sara prompted, openly curious.

"This assignment…no…this order, that I'm giving you, will not be an easy one to follow, which is why I want you to trust your own judgment…if Sasuke has changed to the extent of being willing to injure, or even kill his own teammates, I want you to…"

"Yes?" Sara wasn't sure she wanted to hear Tsunade's orders, but she knew that it was her duty as a shinobi to obey the Hokage.

"I want you to kill him," Tsunade stated. Sara's expression changed to one of horror, and she opened her mouth to argue, but Tsunade quickly said, "I know it's asking a lot, but I trust you to follow my orders. If Sasuke has changed to that degree…"

Sara said dejectedly, "I understand…"

"I can't ask this of Naruto or Sakura…they are too attached to Sasuke, I wouldn't even ask it of you if it weren't for the fact that you've learned to look at things objectively, not just with your feelings."

"They're going to hate me," Sara whispered, referring to Naruto and Sakura.

Tsunade's tone softened, "I know you can handle this, trust your judgment, that's all I'm asking."

Sara snorted, showing her old spirit, all traces of her dejectedness gone, "Yeah, that, and telling me to kill my cousin while getting the wrath of my teammates once I announce my intentions."

Tsunade laughed softly, "Go join your teammates at the front gate to meet the newest members of Team Kakashi."

"What?" Sara shouted, "No one told me we were getting new members or that we were meeting by the front gate!"

"You know now," Tsunade said smiling. She winked as she added, "Take your time in getting there."

"Thanks," Sara said, smiling, "I think I will."

**The New Cell!**

At the front gate, the boy that had attacked Naruto earlier greeted Naruto, "Hello again…"

"Y-you!" Naruto shouted, stunned to see the boy again. Sakura glanced at the pale skinned boy, but she didn't say a word.

"So…um…starting today," Team Kakashi's new commander began, "I'll be filling in for Kakashi."

After the new commander had finished, Sakura said, "Naruto, you know this guy?"

The pale skinned boy said to Naruto, "Sorry about earlier, I was just curious to see how strong my future teammate might be…and whether or not I'd eventually have to come to the little boy's aid."

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted, enraged. Sakura grabbed him, holding him back, though Naruto continued to try and attack the boy.

Sakura snapped at Naruto, "Hey! We have to work together! So don't fight right from the get-go!" She turned to the boy, "And you, that wasn't very nice…"

"Really?" the boy questioned, smiling slightly, "but I like ugly girls like you."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Sakura practically snarled, lunging towards the pale boy.

The new commander grabbed her shoulder, restraining her, "Whoa! Easy, Sakura! Follow your own advice!" Sakura did calm down, though she shot a nasty look towards the pale skinned boy every few seconds.

Glancing around, the new commander asked, "Isn't there supposed to be one more person on this team."

Naruto looked at Sakura, "I thought you told Bright Eyes…"

"I thought you did," Sakura said, looking embarrassed. They both looked sheepishly at the commander, "I guess we didn't tell them to be here."

Naruto grinned, putting his hands behind his head, "Knowing Bright Eyes, she'll probably be here in a couple of hours just based on her instinct!"

Sure enough, three hours later, Sara was walking past, engrossed in _Make-Out Tactics._

Naruto groaned, "Bright Eyes! Not you too!"

She snapped the book closed and put it into her pouch, "Blame Master Kakashi." Sara added, glaring at both of her teammates, "Thanks for telling me to meet here by the way!" Naruto and Sakura had enough sense to look ashamed. Her gaze rested on the pale skinned boy and the new commander, "So they're our new teammates…"

The pale skinned boy said to Sara, "You look about as weak as your comrade, here," he gestured to Naruto.

Sara's eyes narrowed and that was all the pale skinned boy saw before feeling a kunai pressed against his throat, "I wouldn't judge a book by its cover if I were you." She removed her kunai from his throat before teleporting back down to stand beside her teammates.

The new commander decided not to comment on this display of hostility from the other member of Team Kakashi. He was starting to believe that they were all hotheads, "Anyway…since we're going to be deploying almost immediately… We really don't have time to socialize so, um…why don't you guys go ahead and introduce yourselves."

"Naruto Uzamaki," Naruto stated, glaring at the pale skinned boy.

Sakura also glared at the newcomer, "I'm Sakura Haruno."

"I am Sai," the pale skinned boy stated.

"And I'm Sara Uchiha," Sara stated, deciding not to add the Hatake part.

The new commander nodded, "I'm Yamato. The five of us will head to Tenchi Bridge…capture the Akatsuki spy who has infiltrated Orochimaru's organization, and bring him or her back here. This is our best chance to gain intelligence on Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha. Information we can then use to plan Orochimaru's assassination and Sasuke's retrieval. So keep that in mind! As soon as everyone's gear is all packed…rendezvous at the main gate. Then we'll depart."

Walking towards their houses, Naruto said, "That jerk Sai…I already can't stand him!"

"What exactly did he do?" Sara questioned. _It hasn't even been five minutes and I already feel like I'm taking Master Kakashi's place… Stupid elders!_

Naruto explained how Sai had attacked him, and then how he had later insulted both him and Sakura. "Why does HE have to be Sasuke's replacement? Team Kakashi is fine with just the four of us!"

Sakura smiled, "He is rude…and he's got a foul mouth…but there is something familiar about him. His face…his voice…they kind of remind me of Sasuke."

Sara stared at her utterly appalled, while Naruto shouted, "Not at all! Sasuke's way cooler! I mean…!"

Sakura smiled, "You're right. Sasuke is a little cooler than Sai."

She got the response she wanted out of Naruto as he shouted, "More than just a little! Sasuke's a bazillion times better!"

Sara glanced up at the sky, "I'm going to go see Master Kakashi before we head out, I'll meet you guys at the gate." She disappeared.

Naruto grumbled, "How much do you want to bet that she'll be late?"

"Nothing, because I KNOW she'll be late," Sakura stated, "she's right though, we should split up from here to pack our things."

"Right," Naruto said picking up his speed so he was running towards his apartment complex, "see in you a bit, Sakura!"

At the hospital, Kakashi was startled awake by a knock on his door, "Enter." He said groggily. A smile crossed his face as Sara entered, "So, what brings you back here so soon?"

"I thought you'd like to know that your team is going on a mission," she stated, sitting on the edge of his bed. He moved to sit up, but she placed a hand on his chest, "Don't overdue it."

He laughed softly, "You know me so well… When are you heading out?"

"Within the hour," Sara said, "Our new commander is called Yamato, and our newest team member is called Sai… Either name ring any bells?"

"Can't say they do," Kakashi stated, shaking his head back and forth, "Just trust your instincts and stay on your toes around both of them until you know their intentions."

"Right," she added as an afterthought, "You really don't have to tell me that."

"I know," he said smiling, "go get ready…and be on time for your mission."

"Right," she said, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Kakashi sighed as Sara disappeared, _great! Now that I'm up, what am I going to do?_

A sound from the window startled him, but he relaxed a moment later, as a familiar voice said, laced with sarcasm, "Well, don't you look just great?" Jiraiya hopped into the room from the window and slammed down the complete _Make-Out _series, "I know you've probably read all of these, but these books in particular are a special edition set, plus it will help to pass the time."

"You're not here just to give me those," Kakashi said, sitting up, he inhaled sharply, and doubled over as pain shot through his body.

Jiraiya placed a hand on his back and said worriedly, "Hey! Don't push yourself." Kakashi straightened up and Jiraiya continued, "Tsunade wanted to speak to both of us, plus we'll be meeting her new man."

"Her new what?" Kakashi asked, bewildered. A knock sounded from the door and Tsunade walked in followed by another familiar face. "You!" Kakashi said in surprise. This was a ninja he hadn't seen or spoken to in several years.

"Yes, I'm filling in for you," Yamato said, "And my code name for this mission is Yamato."

"Yamato, huh?" Kakashi said, relieved now that Sara was gone, _hopefully her instincts will tell her that he can be trusted._

Tsunade said, "We need to talk about your team, Kakashi. Particularly about Naruto."

"You mean the fox's chakra?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yes," Tsunade affirmed, "Along with another certain jônin on the team."

Kakashi smiled, _she's referring to Sara, and she's right, if Yamato ever hesitates he'll find his power as commander usurped from him in an instant._ "Let's discuss Naruto first." Tsunade nodded, and waited for Kakashi to continue, "On our last mission, when we had finally caught up to the Akatsuki member, Deidara, Naruto gave in to his anger, and he began to rely on the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. Two tails had emerged, and a third was going to before I managed to place a seal on his forehead that Lord Jiraiya gave me."

"Huh, so they're starting to emerge, eh?" Jiraiya said, "From the looks of that chakra, the number of tails will only keep increasing until…"

"All nine manifest?" Kakashi guessed. Jiraiya nodded, and silence spanned between the ninja for a few minutes before Kakashi asked, "Lord Jiraiya, how many tails have you seen?"

Jiraiya sighed and pulled off his overcoat and he began to lift up his shirt, "I've tangoed with death twice in my life now. The first time, I got six broken ribs, broke both my arms, and had several ruptured organs. 'Course, that was just when I tried to do research at the women's bath at a hot spring and got clobbered by you, Tsunade. But the other…" Everyone's eyes widened as he completely lifted up his shirt. A huge scar was on his chest, it looked like a crater, "That happened while training Naruto when the fourth tail of the Nine-Tails chakra emerged." He paused as he lowered his shirt and put his overcoat back on, "Rage…that's what triggers the fox spirit's power to grow and multiply. Up through the third tail, Naruto was able to retain conscious control…but when the fourth appeared, his mind was overpowered, and he was overcome by destructive impulses. It was like he became a mini-fox demon."

"Even with the Fourth Hokage's seal," Kakashi questioned, "he can still…?"

"Still not certain on the details," Jiraiya stated, "but what I've witnessed firsthand…is evidence that the seal spell is weakening. And that's not even the bad news. Though it looks like Naruto is being protected by a chakra aura of the fox demon while in the Nine-Tails state, the truth is his body is continuously being harmed by that same aura. When that fourth tail emerged, his whole body suffered severe injuries…he ran amok covered in blood. After the fox demon's chakra aura disappeared…Naruto's internal Nine-Tails chakra healed his body… But if this continues….it may be more than his body can take. The damage may become irreparable, and it will kill him sooner than later."

"And that is why your presence is crucial, Yamato," Tsunade stated. "You carry the First Hokage's cells within you."

"You're the only one right now who's capable of controlling Naruto-as-host. And that necklace Naruto wears of Lord First's…it's going to come in handy…"

"We're counting on you," Tsunade added, "I've already warned you on what to watch out for with Sakura, but Kakashi needs to give you some things to watch out for with Sara, the last member of Team Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed, "She's got a nasty temper on her, that's the first thing you need to know with her, and she is skilled in all the areas of shinobi battle skills. Plus, if you hesitate in giving a command she WILL take over, and Naruto and Sakura are bound to follow her orders if they don't trust you."

Yamato nodded, and turned his attention to Tsunade as she added, "Work with her as well, she knows her comrades, and she can be helpful if you get on her good side."

"Heaven help you if you get on her bad side," Jiraiya muttered.

This statement didn't comfort Yamato, but he nodded, "I should go prepare then to meet them at the designated time."

A thought suddenly occurred to Tsunade, and she added quickly, "Sara is a dedicated ninja at heart; keep that in mind as well." Yamato nodded, before disappearing in a puff of smoke, while Jiraiya and Kakashi stared at Tsunade as she swept out of the room, both of them openly curious about her last statement.

Just as Tsunade sat down in her office, several minutes later, a knock sounded from her office door, "Enter."

Sakura walked in, "Sorry to disturb you, milady. You did say that you wanted me to report on how the squad adjusted to its new team members." Tsunade nodded, and Sakura began to explain what had happened.

"So it's that bad already?" Tsunade questioned, once Sakura had finished.

Sakura sighed, "I'm afraid so, milady…"

"Well," Tsuande said, "If it can't be helped…then you'll probably have to keep Naruto on an even shorter leash than usual…and keep an eye on Sara so she doesn't kill Sai."

"I promise I'll try but…" Sakura didn't get to finish as a couple knocks sounded from the door.

"Enter!" Tsunade said, sounding slightly surprised. Her surprise turned to irritation as Danzo stood in the doorway.

_Who's he? _Sakura wondered.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked.

Danzo questioned, "Were you able to assign a distinguished shinobi to lead Sai's cell, Princess Tsunade?"

"I have selected an exemplary ninja with experience from as far back as the Third Hokage's rule."

"Very well," Danzo said, "I just hope he's not rooted to deeply in the pacifist teachings of that pushover Sarutobi." Sakura was startled by Danzo's obvious dislike of the Third Hokage. Tsunade snorted angrily as Danzo continued, "Just as the Third Hokage was rooted in the teachings of your grandfather… In any case, I am relieved. Now if you'll excuse me, Princess."

He reached for the door, but before he could reach the handle, it was flung open and Sara walked in, "Excuse me!" She then addressed Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, can I make a complaint?"

Tsunade tried not to laugh at Danzo's expression of surprise, "No."

Danzo was reaching for the door again as Sara shrugged and swept back towards the door, slipping past Danzo, and startling the old man again, "Excuse me! Pardon me!" Danzo stared at Sara's retreating form, utterly appalled by the young kunoichi's behavior. He finally left the Hokage's office, shutting the door behind him.

Tsunade sighed and said, "Remind me to give her a little extra pay for this mission."

"Um…who was that old guy though?" Sakura questioned.

Tsunade closed her eyes for a brief moment, "Someone who long ago, competed with the late Master Sarutobi over the seat of Third Hokage. His name is Danzo and he's the leader of a hard-line martial faction founded on rigid principles… He's also Sai's superior. As a student of the moderate Third Hokage, and granddaughter of the First Hokage, he actively despises me." Sakura didn't know what to say to that, so she remained silent. Tsunade glanced at her, "It's been almost an hour, Sakura, you need to meet with your teammates."

"Yes, ma'am," Sakura said, leaving the room.

Sakura and Naruto met up halfway as they headed towards the main gate, and both their mouths fell open as they saw Sara waiting there for them. Yamato and Sai were also there.

Sara said in a teasing tone, "You two were almost late, I think Master Kakashi's bad habits are wearing off on you!"

"You're one to talk!" Sakura and Naruto shouted in perfect unison. Sara smiled at them mischievously as they stood beside her, Naruto on her left, Sakura on her right. Sai moved to stand on Sakura's other side, and both Naruto and Sakura glanced at him uncertainly.

Yamato looked back at the squad and said, "Okay people this is it! Go Team Kakashi!" He turned around completely as he asked, "Where's the enthusiasm?"

"Wohoo," Sara said her voice monotone. Yamato sighed in defeat as he led the way out of the village.

**Strained…**

After they had left the village, and after several minutes of walking, Naruto was still scrutinizing Sai. Sai finally demanded, "What?" Sakura and Sara both turned to look at the boys, wondering what had happened to make Sai speak.

_Funny, but the more I look at him the more he __**does**__ kind of resemble Sasuke…Sort of sounds like him too…_ Naruto thought.

"If you keep looking at me, I will hit you," Sai stated. Sara's pupils narrowed showing she had activated her Devil's Eyes, ready to intervene between the two boys if it was necessary, though her intervening meant more along the lines of assisting Naruto in clobbering Sai.

"What? You think I'm scared of you?" Naruto shouted. _I take it back. He is sooo not Sasuke!_

"Look, I really don't have anything personal against you," Sai continued.

Naruto didn't believe that, "Yeah, right…"

"I'm just trying out a certain personality type," Sai continued.

Naruto shouted, "Well you're sure doing a crummy job!" He added, "We don't need someone like you on this team! In fact, we'd be a lot better off without you, jerk!"

"Naruto, that's enough!" Yamato said, intervening. "Sai is your teammate now, so even if you don't get along, you're still going to have to find a way to trust each other. I know Kakashi-sensei taught you better than this. So, please, for Kakashi's sake, lose the attitude, all right?"

"No! He's NOT one of us!" Naruto snapped. "The fifth member of Team Kakashi is Sasuke Uchiha! Even on his best day, all this loser is…all he could ever hope to be is a Sasuke WANNABE! He will NEVER be our TEAMMATE."

Sai smirked, "Fine by me. The last person I would ever want to be compared to is some traitorous cockroach who abandoned his village for Orochimaru just because he wanted to become stronger."

Sara's fists clenched as Naruto practically growled, "How dare you!" He clenched his fists and took a threatening step forward, but Sakura blocked his path.

"Regardless of either of your opinions," Sakura said, "Naruto doesn't know you all that well yet. But that's no excuse for him to judge you. I'm sorry. Please forgive Naruto."

"What?" Sara exclaimed, temporarily dumbfounded.

Naruto was also stupefied, "S-Sakura…"

"Phew!" Yamato sighed, "Good to see there's at least one level-headed person on this team."

"Hey, like I said, fine by me," Sai said, smiling.

Sakura smiled back at him, "Really? Oh, good." Without any warning she slugged Sai with all her might, sending him flying.

Sara smiled triumphantly, while Yamato was baffled, as was Naruto.

As Sai wiped the blood away from his lip, Sakura said, "I don't care if you forgive me!"

"Ah…your smile was a fake," Sai stated.

"You don't know Sasuke, never speak as if you do!" Sakura snapped, "Just keep badmouthing Sasuke. Next time, I won't hold back!"

Sai chuckled, "Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut…"

Sara cut him off before he could finish, "Here's another word of caution; keep irritating and annoying my comrades and I'll show you who's the weakling." She was still stinging from Sai's taunt earlier.

It was obvious Sai wasn't taking her threat seriously as he said, addressing Sakura as if Sara had never spoken, "That clever use of a fake smile…I'll have to remember that."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded, "How stupid are you?"

Sai glanced at him and quoted a scroll, or book, "'The best way to defuse a troublesome situation is by smiling…even if it is a fake smile, it will fool more people than you think.' Or so I've read." He stood up, "Though it never seems to work for me."

Naruto, Sakura, and Sara were all glaring at him, obviously ready to fight. Yamato had had enough, _Four Pillar Prison Technique!_ Wooden beams that shot up out of the ground and created a wooden crate, "We only have five days to get to Tenchi Bridge. Keep it up, you four, and I'll throw you ALL in a cage!"

Naruto glanced warily at the cage, as did Sai, while Sakura thought, _Th-that's wood style ninjutsu! A secret jutsu known only to the First Hokage…so how does Commander Yamato know it?_

_Who is he? He's using jutsu that was SUPPOSED to be only ever used by the First Hokage, _Sara thought, trying to figure out how Yamato could be using wood style.

"Now, I'll give you two choices," Yamato continued, "sped the rest of the day crammed inside a wooden box reacquainting yourselves with the meaning of teamwork or…enjoy a night at a comfortable inn with a relaxing hot spring." His expression changed to one that could either be considered scary or funny, though his tone suggested that he was trying to look scary, "You don't really know me either, I prefer the kind and gentle approach, but I'm not against using more DRACONIAN methods when necessary…"

Sara stated, "Just throw me in the box; I'm probably going to kill Sai either way."

Yamato gave her an exasperated look before he asked, "Anybody else really want to be in the box?" Everyone shook their heads back and forth. He looked at Sara, "Get along for Kakashi's sake." Sara sighed resignedly, following Yamato as he led the way towards the inn that they were all supposedly staying at.

At the inn, in the hot spring, Naruto had his face halfway underwater as he sulked.

"Aah, now this is a much better way to get to know each other!" Yamato stated, before he gave Naruto his "evil" expression, "Don't you men think?"

"In a hot spring? If you say so!" Naruto quickly agreed, standing up, _Commander Yamato is a total weirdo!_

"Huh, fancy that, Naruto is a boy after all," Sai commented.

Naruto shouted, "Okay, first of all! I am not comfortable in this setting at all!"

They could hear Naruto's shouting in the women's hot spring, Sakura paled, _come on Naruto, lower your voice will you?_

Sara was leaning against the wall, and she said, her eyes still closed, but knowing how Sakura would react to his yelling, "Just pretend you don't know him and relax, all right?"

Sakura turned to face her, "Easy for you…to…say…" She trailed off, seeing the various scars on Sara's arms and torso.

"What?" Sara questioned, opening her right eye, leaving the left, the one with the scar over it, closed.

"I didn't realize that…" She trailed off again, unwilling to say anything about the scars.

Sara followed Sakura's gaze though and smiled ruefully, "They're not that pretty to look at are they? Even if they are pretty faded."

"I just didn't realize how….battered you look," Sakura finished.

Sara sighed, "The only reason you can even see them at the moment is because I'm starting to get a bit too hot from being in here too long. Otherwise they're not that visible, you should know that. I wear a tank top, remember?"

"Oh, right," Sakura was embarrassed by her behavior.

Sara stood up, "I'm heading in."

"I'll come with," Sakura stated, feeling a bit overheated from the water.

Back in the men's hot spring, Naruto heard the giggling of the women from the women's bath. Naruto started slowly and happily sneaking towards the wall that separated the two springs.

Yamato got out of the water just then, "Well, that's enough bonding for me, but before I go, let me share a funny story with you, Naruto. A very long time ago, when he was just a boy, your mentor, Lord Jiraiya came this close to death," he emphasized this point by holding his fingers only a millimeter apart. "Having fractured six ribs and both arms and suffered ruptured internal organs. The reason? Supposedly Lady Tsunade found out that he did precisely what you're contemplating right about now. So before you hop out of that spring…I suggest you stop and think… In that very same situation, how would Sakura and Sara react?" Naruto paled and started to sweat drastically imagining all the possible ways Sakura and Sara would kill him if he took a peek at the women's bath.

Later that evening, the hostess of the inn led Team Kakashi into the dining area.

Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened in delight as they saw the table that was before them, "Wow!" Sakura said, "That's some spread!"

"Yeah, I know!" Naruto said, drooling.

"Is this really all for us?" Sakura asked, looking at Yamato.

Yamato nodded, "I figured this would be another great way to get to know each other, and this is all on me. So dig in!"

Everyone sat at the table, and Sakura, Naruto, and Sai started into the meal, some eating faster than others (Naruto mainly). Yamato started to eat as well, keeping an eye on Sara who had yet to pick up her chopsticks.

Sakura said, "This meal is delicious! You can take over from Kakashi-sensei anytime!" Sara's fists clenched under the table with that statement.

"Bright Eyes, why aren't you eating? This meal is great!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sara stood up, "I'm not really that hungry." She walked past Yamato and murmured, "Or that trusting."

Yamato turned to say something to her at that moment, but she was gone. He sighed in exasperation; _she is the most difficult out of the group._

Naruto commented, hearing Yamato's sigh, "Yeah, we hate it when she teleports like that as well."

"She seems to be the most opposed to me…why is that?" Yamato asked, hoping the others would answer.

Sakura and Naruto continued eating, ignoring his question. Yamato sighed again, _this is getting ridiculous. If I can't get Sara's support it looks like I'll never get the others to respect me._ "You guys enjoy the rest of the meal!"

Yamato walked up to his room, and paused, sensing someone else's chakra, "Come out of the shadows." Sara stepped out of them. "What do you want?"

"To know what game you're playing at," Sara stated, cutting to the chase. "I know your not who you say you are."

Yamato wasn't sure how to answer her, "I can't tell you everything, simply because I have strict orders from Lady Hokage, however, I'll tell you that your suspicions are correct, Yamato is not my real name, but I do know Kakashi very well, and I can help this squad's success on this mission, but I can't help if we can't get teamwork established between everyone."

"Where'd the 'we' come in?" Sara asked cautiously.

Yamato held back his smile, "Your teammates respect you and follow your lead, so if you get along with Sai…"

"Sorry, nice try though!" Sara said, "I'll tolerate Sai, but if he irritates my teammates, I will give him a piece of my mind!" With that said, she teleported, most likely to the room she shared with Sakura.

Yamato sighed, "And here I thought that she'd help me get less strain on the squad."

**Feelings…?**

Sakura stretched the next morning, "Mmmm! Nothing like a good night's sleep, right Sara?" She looked around the room, "Sara? She must have gotten up early." She looked out the window and saw Sai sitting on the walkway that jutted out into the open, similar to a pier. "Sai?" she thought, wondering what he was doing out there.

Within minutes she was dressed and walking towards Sai, "Never figured you for the artistic type."

Sai glanced back at her, startled, but he quickly recovered himself and stated, "Looks can be deceiving."

Sakura glanced at what Sai was drawing before she said, "Don't I know it! You know…for someone so rough on the outside you seem pretty sensitive on the inside."

"That fake smile again," Sai said, giving his own fake smile, "Don't tell me you're going to slug me now?"

Sakura said slyly, "Only if you give me a reason to." She smiled again, "I'm only playing with you. So what are you sketching?"

Sai muttered, "I'll try not to."

Sakura blazed ahead with the conversation, "I would've thought that a place like this would have you drawing a landscape, but your sketch is an abstract. It's still nice…what are you calling it?"

"Don't know," Sai answered.

Sakura questioned, "You don't have a title for it yet?"

"There is no title," Sai stated. "I mean I've drawn thousands if not tens of thousands of sketches over time…but I've never titled them."

Meanwhile, as Sakura and Sai were talking, Yamato and Sara were halfway listening to the conversation as they spoke in low tones.

Yamato said, "So, are you willing to get along with Sai as long as the other two do?"

"I thought I made that pretty clear last night," Sara stated, her eyes closed, as she leaned against the tree, giving her an almost lazy like appearance. Almost.

Yamato sighed in relief, "I see you can be level headed sometimes."

Sara's eyes opened in an instant, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Yamato quickly said, feeling like he was talking to Kakashi back when Kakashi had been Head of the Anbu Black Ops. "Is there anything you can do to get Naruto to work better with Sai?"

"No, not really," Sara stated, as she focused on Sakura's and Sai's conversation once again.

"…the right words escape me, and I just don't feel anything," Sai finished saying to Sakura.

Naruto walked up to them just then, "Is that why you're such an insensitive jerk?" Sakura and Sai turned towards him, "Commander Yamato says it's time to go. So if you wouldn't mind…"

Sara smiled, _so the commander used a clone of some sort…smooth…_

"Okay," Sakura said, stretching a bit.

Naruto peeked over Sai's shoulder at the sketchbook and scoffed, "That drawing is nothing special."

"Sure," Sai said, "Just like you."

Sara sighed, _Naruto deserved that one…_

"That's it! I've had it!" Naruto shouted, "I HATE you! If you've got a problem with me don't give me that fake smile! Just say it! And I'll fight you anytime!"

Sai gave Naruto his fake smile, "But I don't hate you, Naruto…" Naruto didn't quite believe him. "As a matter of fact, I don't feel anything toward you at all, good or bad." Naruto glared at Sai, while Sakura looked on, unsure if she believed Sai either.

Sai went to picking up his stuff, "Please, just go on ahead. I'll catch up as soon as I've packed."

"I'll help," Sakura said, bending down to pick up a small book. She stared at it, surprised that it was completely made up of drawings, "This…it's not a printed copy. Did you draw this too?"

"Yeah," Sai said, snatching it away.

"Wow!" Sakura said, impressed, "Your very own picture book." Naruto snorted in contempt.

Sara said to Yamato, "I guess I'd better make an appearance." Yamato nodded as Sara disappeared.

Sakura continued, "Hey! While we're on the road, is it okay if I flip through this"

"Sorry, but no," Sai stated, glancing at the book, "It's not finished yet… Plus I don't really show it to others… because it belongs to my older brother." Naruto and Sakura stared at Sai in surprise, amazed that he had an older brother.

Sara walked up to them, "Hey! Are you guys coming or not? Commander Yamato wants to get going."

"We're coming!" Sakura said, as Sai grabbed his pack, and Naruto walked next to Sakura.

After walking all day, Yamato stopped in the middle of a clearing and said, while making a hand sign, "This spot should do nicely." _Wood Style: Four Pillar House Jutsu!_

Wooden beams erupted out of the ground, causing Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Sara to shield their faces against the clots of dirt that flew at them.

Yamato called down from the top of the newly formed lodging place, "We'll camp here tonight!"

Sara muttered, "This is camping?"

Sakura had the same thought, "I don't think this really qualifies as camping out, sir!"

Inside the wooden lodging, Yamato said, "All right, gather around everyone. Oh, and Sakura, there are a few things I especially need to ask you."

As everyone gathered around as Yamato asked, Sakura asked, "What about?"

"With regard to the Akatsuki member, Sasori," Yamato answered. "I received his file from the Sand Village, but it would be helpful if you could fill in any blanks…about his personality, speech patterns, mannerisms, or quirks. After all, you're the only one here, who's gone toe-to-toe with him."

"What do you need to know all that for?" Naruto asked.

Sara answered, "When impersonating someone, you want to be as accurate as possible when you're meeting someone who's familiar with the person you're impersonating." Naruto stared at her blankly, "I can't dumb it down any further!"

Yamato nodded, "You're right, Sara. Naruto, if I mess up on one detail while impersonating Sasori, they could catch me right away, but if I know more about Sasori, I will have that much better of a chance of getting valuable information."

Sai said, "Spy work entails pretty high risk, so your target will definitely have their guard up."

"True," Yamato said, "And since there's still a small chance this is an Akatsuki trap. I've planned for that possibility as well. That's why I'll approach alone first. You three," he gestured to Sakura, Naruto, and Sai, will lie in wait, closer to the action until I signal you." He looked at Sara, "While you'll wait further back as the backup's backup."

"Always!" Sara said, exasperated. It got tiring always being the last one into the action. _This is one of those times were I miss being Head Anbu. At least then I was first into the action!_

Sakura said, "I don't really think this is a trap but…the way Sasori mentioned it just before he died…I don't know."

"Either way," Sai said, his tone serious, "this spy is most likely quite strong and accomplished."

"Yeah, well… So are we!" Naruto announced, determinedly.

"The devil is in the details, team," Yamato continued. "So here's the mission from A to Z. Our one and only goal is a LIVE CAPTURE. The target must NOT be killed or injured no matter what. Even if it means having to fight them. If they're killed we lose our only source of intelligence. Therefore, this mission is even harder than when you just have to take down the enemy. And because it's such a delicate situation…this must go off without a hitch. So, while you four all act as backups. I'll go ahead and try to capture the target by myself. If by some chance my disguise is penetrated, and it is revealed that I am in fact NOT Sasori, a battle will likely ensue. Then and only then, do the three of you," he once again gestured to Naruto, Sakura, and Sai, "shift to combat mode, entering the fray on my signal alone." He looked at Sara again, "And if it looks like the battle isn't going in our favor, that's when you'll come in, Sara, based on your own judgment, or if I give you a signal." Sara nodded. "We will fight in pairs for the most part. Those that have a partner will have their actions covered by that partner. The watchword, people, is TEAMWORK. So…here are the pairings. The first pair will be Sai and Naruto, while Sakura will be with me, and Sara will be on her own."

"But," Sakura tried to argue, not wanting to be paired with the commander.

Yamato wouldn't let her argue with him though, "You're the team's one and only medic ninja. We can't afford to have you injured so I will cover you."

Naruto was glaring at Sai, and Sai said, noticing this, "Partner."

"Oh, c'mon, Commander!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Sai, "Team me up with Bright Eyes or Sakura, anyone but him!"

Yamato was not in the mood to deal with Naruto's temper tantrums, so he put on his evil expression, "And yet you continue to complain…" Naruto quickly became silent.

"In light of what I just told you," Yamato continued. "Though this isn't standard procedure, half of tomorrow will be focused on pair simulation exercises. Everything I know about all of you comes from your files." _And what I've been told…_ "I need to assess, firsthand, your battle style and skills, the makeup of your jutsu, et cetera. Clearly it's the only way I'm ever going to forge this team, into the cohesive fighting unit it needs to be."

"Yeah, beating the crap out of each other usually works," Sara said dryly.

Yamato shot her an even nastier look then the one he had given Naruto, and she quickly became quiet. He continued, "Kakashi-sensei may have favored a more LAX approach, but I am not he."

_Obviously, _Sara thought, deciding it was best not to irritate Yamato any further that night.

The next day, late in the afternoon, Naruto and Sai lunged at Yamato, Naruto aiming a kick at the commander, while Sai tried to punch him. Yamato easily blocked the attacks and taunted, "Is that all you've got?"

As Sai made to kick Yamato, he held his right hand back, where Naruto was forming the Rasengan.

Sara sighed from her position in the bushes, _Naruto…!_

Yamato sent wooden beams after sigh, that moved like snakes, wrapping around him. Sai transformed to reveal one of Naruto's clones. Though the Rasengan hadn't been completed, he leapt over his clone and knocked Yamato to the ground.

Meanwhile, further back in the trees, sigh whisked some ink onto a scroll, _Art of the Cartoon Beast Mimicry!_ A black snake rose off the page and headed straight towards Naruto and the commander.

Naruto said, as he was shaking the commander, "Gotcha! And I'm not letting go!" As the snake wrapped around him and the commander he exclaimed, "H-hey! Why me too?" He stared in shock at the wooden dummy that was tied up with him. Its headband read "dummy". "Hey! Get this off me!" Naruto shouted, knowing that Sai should have been able to hear him. "Hey! Sai! Get this thing off me!"

"Relax," Sara said, appearing behind him, and slicing the snake in two with her kunai knife. She glared at the forest, _Sai, you really need to learn the meaning of teamwork!_

"Nice catch, Sai," Yamato said a few minutes later, as Sai untied him. "We'll end the simulations here."

Naruto grabbed Sai's shirt, and forced him around so they were standing nose to nose, "Problem?"

"You know what the word comrade means?" Naruto demanded.

Sai shuffled around in his pouch until he pulled out a scroll, with the word, "comrade" painted on it, "As a matter of fact, I do."

Naruto gritted his teeth, and Sakura said quickly, "N-Naruto, wait."

"Seriously," Sai said, "Don't go blaming others for your own shortcomings. If you hadn't fallen for the commander's obvious bait he wouldn't have figured out that I was hiding elsewhere. Even if you had used your own jutsu and transformed into me, he still would have known it was only a shadow clone. It's impractical to fight while covering for someone who can't maintain his cool. Not to mention dangerous. I simply considered what would best ensure mission success and acted accordingly."

Naruto shoved Sai away, releasing his shirt at the same time, "I will NEVER accept you as a comrade or as a member of this team!"

"This is so not going to work," Yamato said, as he smacked his forehead.

Sai continued to get under Naruto's skin, "I wonder what Sasuke would have done in this scenario? Would HE have fought while covering you? Somehow I doubt it."

Sakura held her hand near her chest, almost feeling Naruto's pain as if it were her own, _oh, Sai…why do you insist on pushing Naruto?_

"He betrayed our village and tried to kill you and you still consider him a comrade?" Sai questioned.

Naruto said over his shoulder, glaring at Sai, "Yes, and I would still do ANYTHING to get him back. Even teaming up with YOU!" He turned away from Sai and stalked over to where his pack was lying next to a tree.

"This obsession with Sasuke is absurd," Sai stated to Naruto's back.

Sakura intervened, taking note that Sara looked ready to lunge at Sai, "Naruto…thinks of Sasuke as a brother. You have an older brother…so you must know what that's like."

"No," Sai said, flatly. "Remember our conversation about the picture titles? I don't have feelings."

"What do you mean you don't have feelings?" Sakura demanded. "He's your brother, surely you must feel something."

"I mean exactly what I said," Sai stated.

Sakura watched as Naruto gripped the tree as if he needed the support, and Sakura glared at Sai, "But even so, you have a brother so you must be able to imagine what it would feel like to lose him."

"Ah, well you see," Sai said, "My brother is dead."

Sakura stared at him, startled for a second, before she said, "Even more of a reason to feel something then…"

Sai cut her off, "And what face would I make to show that I did? One like that?" He gestured to Naruto who had just picked up his pack, his expression was one that was hurt and confused.

"Sai, I don't," Sakura started to say.

Once again though, Sai cut her off, "Well, when my brother died. I didn't know what kind of expression I was supposed to be making."

_Jerk…_Sakura thought angrily.

Yamato said, "Enough chit chat. We're falling behind schedule, so everyone grab your packs."

"Lucky you, Sai," Sakura stated, "Truth be told, I was just about to clobber you again." Sai glanced at her, "I warned you if you kept badmouthing Sasuke that I wouldn't hold back. The only reason I didn't knock you into tomorrow was because of what Naruto said… That in order to rescue Sasuke he'd team up with even you. For once he's being more forgiving then I am. But if you can help us get our teammate back…I can't afford to hurt you."

Sara teleported behind Sai and stated, "Unfortunately, I'm not as forgiving as either of my teammates." She swung her arm to strike him, but he dodged to the side, surprise showing on his face, "That was a warning, next time you irritate or annoy my teammates, you won't be able to defend yourself." She stalked off to get her own bags.

Sai stared after Sara, realizing that he would have to watch his back around her, before he addressed Sakura, "You're being considerate of Naruto's feelings am I right?" Sakura gazed at him, wondering what he was getting at. "I really don't understand how such feelings come about….though there was something in this book…"

"Can we just go already?" Naruto snapped. "If we're not in place before noon tomorrow, this mission is over before it even starts."

Sakura and Sai looked at him before they grabbed their packs and followed Yamato until they stopped to rest for the evening.

**The Akatsuki Spy**

The next day, Team Kakashi arrived at the Tenchi Bridge, Yamato stated as they stood in front of the bridge, "It's almost time; get into position."

A while later, after they had gotten into their positions, a figure in a white hooded robe, stood in the center of the bridge. Yamato, disguised as Sasori, went out to meet the Akatsuki spy.

Sara was downwind of the others, so she could easily hear Sakura whisper to Yamato, "Good luck, commander…"

On the bridge, the Akatsuki spy greeted Yamato, "Sasori." He began to take off his hood.

_That's…_ Yamato couldn't believe his eyes.

"How the time flies," Kabuto finished.

Sara, Naruto, and Sakura's eyes all widened in surprise. Of all the people working with Orochimaru, Kabuto wasn't the one that they had expected to be the spy.

_Kabuo Yakushi…!_ "No tail…?" He questioned.

"None, I assure you," Kabuto stated.

Yamato asked, "How do you feel?"

"There remains some disorientation from when your jutsu dissolved and I started remembering who I really was," Kabuto answered. "But it'll pass."

Naruto practically growled, "Him again! I can't believe the Akatsuki spy is Kabuto!"

"I have many questions," Yamato said.

Kabuto glanced around warily, "There isn't much time, so please be quick! I've risked my life just coming here."

"Sasuke Uchiha…Where is he?" Yamato asked, cutting right to the point.

"There are several hideouts but these change from week to week so his location cannot be pinpointed," Kabuto answered. "Some are in lands outside the Sound that Orochimaru's spies have infiltrated and maintained for us. But there is no set transfer plan or pattern. We're currently lying low at a safehouse on a small island in the northern lake, but we'll be moving soon, Sasuke is also there right now."

Naruto stated, annoyed, "Dangit! The wind's so strong I can't hear a thing!"

Before Sara could say anything, Sakura snapped, "Idiot! The wind is exactly what's keeping Kabuto from hearing us too!"

"And the reason why I can hear you two perfectly!" Sara stated, causing Naruto and Sakura to turn around guiltily. "Exactly! Keep your voices down! We have no idea if Kabuto was followed or not, or if he has reinforcements."

"If that's the only benefit of the wind," Naruto grumbled in a quieter tone, "then it's not that helpful!"

Sara rolled her eyes, "It also blows our scent in the opposite direction so he won't be able to detect our approach."

"I guess there are some advantages," Naruto conceded, focusing on the bridge again.

Kabuto whirled around and threw a shuriken into the bushes behind him. The bushes rustled for a brief second before a white rabbit popped its head out before slipping back into the cover the bushes offered.

Kabuto sighed, "Just a rabbit." He turned to Yamato once more, "So, regarding the matter you asked me to look into…"

Yamato was starting to get edgy, _there are still a few more things I wanted to ask him…but the longer I keep talking, the greater the chance I might slip up…._

"Even after Orochimaru transfers bodies, he puts a protective jutsu on the cell specimens from the old host body," Kabuto explained. "So I have not been able to analyze them."

"I see…" Yamato murmured. Kabuto gave him a sidelong glance.

"What's Yamato waiting for?" Naruto demanded. "He should just grab him already!"

"And risk the mission if he fails?" Sakura questioned. "This is Kabuto we're talking about. Better safe than sorry."

"Maybe," Sai commented. "But Yamato doesn't want Kabuto to become suspicious either. If he does… This mission's already failed."

Back on the bridge, Kabuto said, sounding as edgy as Yamato felt, "This is taking too long. If Orochimaru discovers that I met with you death will be the least of my worries. You know what I want… Now give it to me."

"Very well," Yamato said. _This is it. I've got to do this now!_ He whipped out a kunai knife and Kabuto's eyes widened in surprise, but he soon glanced at the figure next to him in terror.

"Interesting conversation," Orochimaru said, a snake slowly coiling around Kabuto. "Mind if I join you?"

**Consequences**

_He's been followed!_ Yamato thought in alarm as Kabuto leapt away from Orochimaru and the snake.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto gasped, while Sakura put her hand to her mouth. Sara's pupils narrowed as she activated her Devil's Eyes.

_So that's him,_ Sai thought.

Kabuto said to Yamato, "If you hadn't pulled out your kunai, Sasori, I wouldn't have gotten away in time."

_Phew! It seems I got away with it too…but now what?_ Yamato wondered.

Orochimaru said, "Your garb brings back such memories, Sasori."

"Did you follow Kabuto?" Yamato demanded.

"Aww, come now," Orochimaru said. "I just wanted to say hello. And thank you for sending me this one. He's been so handy. Every time I develop a new jutsu I need at least one hundred human bodies to experiment on. Thanks to Kabuto's medical ninjutsu skills I get to use them over and over again. There's such a shortage of volunteers you know."

Waiting in their positions, Naruto asked, "What do we do?"

"We wait," Sara said from her position, but the wind was blowing so hard when she said it, that none of them heard her.

Sakura said, "Nothing, we sit tight till Commander Yamato gives us the signal."

Yamato was assessing his situation, _I can't take on Orochimaru alone, but if I call the others I'll only put them at risk right along with me…and even if Kabuto and I team up…Kabuto will notice right away from my jutsu and battle style that I'm not Sasori… Fight them both simultaneously or just retreat seem to be my only options…unless…_

Without any warning, Kabuto sliced at Yamato with his hand using his chakra in a way similar to Kakashi's Chidori, but without the electricity.

Yamato leapt away from the disguise of Sasori, clutching his shoulder where Kabuto had cut him. _He…he knew? But how?_

Orochimaru shifted slightly, _Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes Jutsu!_ A multitude of snakes erupted from his palm twisting towards Yamato. Wrapping around him one of the snakes bit him in the neck, only to reveal that Yamato had used Wood Clone.

Kabuto snorted, while Orochimaru said, "A Wood Style Substitution…you're not!"

"Lord Orochimaru, are you saying this isn't…" Kabuto said.

Orochimaru interrupted him, "Sasori? No. Kabuto's it's definitely not. All this time and you've yet to see the man's face?"

"He always hid behind those weird puppets of his, such a dreary fellow," Kabuto stated.

Yamato said, "I-I don't understand! Kabuto, you're supposed to be an Akatsuki spy under Sasori's Sleeper Jutsu."

"I'm afraid your intelligence is out of date," Kabuto said. "Lord Orchimaru removed that problem a long time ago."

"So you were just pretending to be under Sasori's spell while secretly under Orochimaru's jutsu," Yamato stated.

"Wrong again, I'm afraid," Kabuto said, smiling. "Lord Orochimaru and I share a common philosophy. I'm with him of my own free will… But who are you? You ruined our plans for Sasori."

"Patience, Kabuto," Orochimaru said. "All will be revealed in due time. Staring with the three baby rats hiding behind Papa rat here."

Yamato signaled for Naruto, Sakura, and Sai to come out of the bushes, and they all landed in front of him, battle ready.

Orochimaru sighed, "I should have said four baby rats, I didn't realize that another replacement member had been added to this particular squad.

_He knew all along,_ Yamato thought, signaling for Sara as well. Sara joined her teammates.

"You again," Kabuto said, easily recognizing Sara and Naruto.

"Well now, this is a pleasant reunion," Orochimaru said. "And I see you brought the Nine-Tails child along with the fire bird one. This is excellent, I've been waiting for this type of opportunity to see which of you three is stronger: Naruto, Sara, or Sasuke."

**Rage Triggered**

Sara stared at Naruto her eyes wide with shock, _This is just like our last mission…this is the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra!_

Naruto growled, red chakra swirling around and sizzling the air around him, "Give…Sasuke…back!"

Kabuto questioned, "Give Sasuke back? You're getting off track. Sasuke came to us of his own volition. Why can't you just accept the truth?"

"Shut up, Four Eyes!" Sakura snapped, as she glared at Kabuto. "You don't understand how people FEEL you only know cold logic."

Orochimaru said, his focus on Naruto, "If you want to know about Sasuke you'll have to force me to tell you… If you can that is!"

There wasn't even a moment's notice. One second Naruto was standing in between Sai and Sakura, the next moment the bridge was ripped apart where he had been standing.

"Hey, what-?" Sai exclaimed, shielding his face.

Sakura also had to shield her face from the debris, "Naruto-?"

Sara leapt back, unwilling to get the full onslaught of wood, "Naruto!"

Naruto, a red aura of chakra surrounding him that bore some resemblance to the Nine-Tailed Fox, minus eight of the nine tails, swiped at Orochimaru's face, hitting him dead on, a ferocious growl escaping him.

Orochimaru went flying, and Naruto landed nimbly on his feet as if he hadn't expended any energy. Naruto turned his head slightly and cast an evil look towards Kabuto.

Sakura was shocked, _Naruto…what is this?_

_What in the world…?_ Sai wondered.

Yamato recalled his conversation with Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, and Kakashi about the chakra aura that now surrounded Naruto.

"Commander," Sara said, recalling how dangerous Naruto had gotten on the last mission, "We need to stop those tails from emerging any further!"

Yamato glanced at her, but he didn't say anything, _it's going to be easier said then done to control Naruto…I'll need to get closer…_

Sara glared at Yamato, but her attention was diverted to Kabuto as he said, "Naruto, you've matured as a Jinchûriki host."

Kabuto's words reminded Sakura of Granny Chiyo, and how she had talked about Jinchûriki, _Naruto…_

"Careful," Sara said, coming to stand beside her, as Orochimaru staggered towards the bridge. _It's amazing he's alive after that hit… _As he got nearer her eyes widened with fear for a brief moment, before she managed to steel herself, _his face was ripped off only to reveal another face…what is he?_

Sakura nodded, and followed Sara's gaze, fear and shock evident on every feature as she took in Orochimaru's appearance.

Orochimaru said, "You're getting quite Jinchûriki…little fox."

Naruto lowered himself to the ground, getting ready to strike again.

Sakura took a step back, but Sara snapped, "Hold your ground!"

Sakura nodded, trying to get over her fear, _the Commander hasn't said a word to us…looks like we'll have to follow Sara's lead._

_Impressive…perhaps I should have looked up more data on her than I did,_ Sai thought, his gaze drifting to Sara's taped shoulder, _so, Sara…were you in the Anbu?_

Orochimaru continued, making it onto the bridge, "So, that's why HE was chosen to be your watchdog, eh?" He was gazing right at Yamato. "Seems some of my experiments came in handy after all. Konoha really ought to be more grateful to me, don't you think? My cute little experiment…"

"What does he mean?" Sara demanded, turning towards Yamato, her gaze filled with an unreadable emotion. Sakura also glanced back at Yamato, but her gaze was questioning.

Yamato looked at both of them but remained silent. Sara gritted her teeth in anger, and turned away. _I just lost whatever respect I had managed to gain from her with my silence…_ he thought, _but Orochimaru will explain things anyway, so there's no point in my talking._

"Experiment?" Kabuto asked. "What do you mean?"

Orochimaru covered his face with his left hand, "There was a time I sought the power of the shinobi who was not only the ultimate Wood Style ninjutsu master, but also the one person who had total control over tailed beasts. Namely, the First Hokage… So I extracted his DNA…"

Sara felt her anger slowly starting to get the better of her, _how low…how far will this snake sink to get what he wants? He defiled the resting place of the First Hokage!_

"…and inserted it into the cells of sixty children," Orochimaru continued, moving his hand away from his face, and gazing at Sara. He could easily see the anger roiling within her, "Unfortunately, their inferior bodies rejected the superior genetic material. They died in rapid succession, one after another…I thought they all perished…I can't believe there was a survivor…" Yamato was still silent.

Sakura thought, gazing at Yamato, _so THAT'S why he can use the First Hokage's jutsu!_

_I wish Yamato would have told us that himself, _Sara thought, glancing back at him again. _But it can't be helped now._

"Well, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said, "if one experiment was a success, we could obtain a sample."

Sara whipped around to face Kabuto, "Over my dead body!"

Yamato's eyes widened at Sara's outburst, _Kakashi wasn't kidding when he said she's team oriented…I didn't realize just how far it would go!_

Kabuto smiled, "That can easily be arranged." Both shinobi tensed, ready to strike at a second's notice.

Orochimaru was only focusing on Naruto now, content to let Kabuto and Sara duke it out if they wanted, "Yesss…time to pit Sasuke against Naruto and see once and for all who's strongest…It's obvious that Naruto's more of a challenge anyway."

"You don't own Sasuke," Naruto growled as two more tails emerged, "Don't talk about Sasuke like you own him! Especially in front of me!"

**The Third Tail**

"That's…" Yamato shielded his face from the chakra that was swirling around the air, emanating from Naruto.

_What is that chakra?_ Sakura wondered.

Sai raised his arm to shield his own face, _the air pressure…like a thousand tiny bees…_

Sara squinted against the chakra's pressure, _this is WAY worse than the last time!_ Her gaze quickly returned to Kabuto, who was grinning slightly. _Whatever he's grinning about…I'll soon wipe that grin off his face!_

Naruto glared at Orochimaru, and Orochimaru entered his mind, he stood face to face with the Nine-Tailed Fox which blew him right back out of Naruto's mind again. Orochimaru held his ground against Naruto though, _intriguing…_

The Nine-Tails' chakra began to destroy the bridge, Yamato thought, _There it is…the Nine Tails' aura…three tails down._

_So that's a Jinchûriki's power…what a repulsive chakra!_ Sakura thought as she healed a small scratch that the chakra aura had given her. _I can sense it…he shouldn't be able to control that chakra._

Sai stared at Naruto intently, _so this is Naruto's Nine-Tails power._

Without any warning, Kabuto lunged at Naruto, _shit!_ Sara thought angrily, taking off after him. She skidded to a halt as Naruto turned, his pupil's narrowed like her eyes, and his irises were red, _yipes!_ She started to back pedal to get away from whatever attack Naruto would launchagainst Kabuto, and possibly her.

Yamato was startled by Sara's apparent fear, _what's gotten her so spooked?_ His question was soon answered; Naruto roared and the chakra that went with it destroyed the center of the bridge, just as Sara teleported. Kabuto went flying and Sakura smacked her head against the bridge as she fell backwards.

Yamato managed to keep himself from falling over, as Sara appeared behind him, on shaky legs. "Holy shit," she gasped.

Yamato glanced at her before he turned his attention to Sai, who was wobbling from the shaky bridge.

The bridge began to crumble, and Sara muttered another expletive. Yamato made a hand sign, _Wood Style!_ Wood erupted from the side of cliff, supporting the bridge to some extent.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, was trying to get to safety on the other side of the bridge as it collapsed under him. An elongated arm of chakra shot past him, missing his head by a hair, gripping a tree, and Naruto hauled himself up towards Orochimaru and safety.

Yamato's Wood Style couldn't support the entire bridge though, as an unconscious Sakura began to slowly side towards the river far below. _Did she hit her head?_

Sara moved forward a step to try and help her comrade, when a sickening snap sounded beneath her. Yamato heard it as well, and turned around, startled. His eyes widened as he watched Sara fall through a hole that had opened up beneath her, "Sara!"

"_Phoenix! Want to have a bit of fun?" _Sara asked the fire bird sealed within her.

Phoenix's response was excited, "_Yes! But What's the catch?"_

_"You'll help me out!"_ Sara thought desperately, as she released the fire bird as she flipped around, so she could see where she was falling.

Phoenix erupted out of her, but only the two, host and fire bird, could see the chain that bound them together that connected at their chests, where their hearts were. He dove for several hundred feet, before he stopped his descent, and Sara hit his broad back with a thump.

"Thank you," Sara said aloud, situating herself on Phoenix's back.

Back on the bridge, while Sara had been falling, Sai drew out his scroll, _at last… Time for my real mission…_ He quickly drew a bird _Cartoon Beast Mimicry _the bird came out of the scroll and Sai jumped onto its back.

"Sai! Catch Sakura!" Yamato shouted, knowing Sara was able to take care of herself. Sai flew right on past Sakura as she fell.

"Sakura!" Yamato shouted slamming his palm against the bridge, causing a wooden spire to start twisting towards Sakura's falling form.

"Phoenix!" Sara called out, wanting the fire bird to start rising as she spotted Sakura plummeting towards them, while Sai sailed past her. With one powerful stroke of his fiery wings, he soared upward.

Sara caught Sakura's shoulders, just as the wood wrapped around Sakura's body. "Got her?" Sara questioned, gazing up at Yamato. He nodded, obviously surprised to see Phoenix, Sara released Sakura's shoulders, "I'm going after Naruto…" _And Sai…_ she added silently.

_"Can I blast him out of the sky?" _Phoenix questioned.

Sara answered, "Yes. After what he did…he's shown his true colors."

Yamato watched the fire bird in awe; he had only seen Phoenix once in his youth, and he had been lucky to leave that encounter with his life. He couldn't help being amazed at how easily Sara seemed to control the fire bird, when he remembered how powerful Phoenix was. He started to pull Sakura up slowly.

Phoenix started to rise higher and higher into the sky, before Sara could voice her concerns, Phoenix reassured her as he leveled out, _"We're not going any higher, but any good predator of the sky knows, that you need to be higher than your prey."_

Not knowing what Phoenix meant right away, as he started to circle on the updrafts, she soon spotted what he had already seen with his keen eyes, "Are we just going to drift up here, or are you going to strike?"

"_Not yet," _Phoenix stated, _"I can sense the Nine-Tails' chakra down there increasing."_

"Great!" Sara said her tone full of sarcasm.

Lower in the sky, Sai was unaware of the danger that waited above him. Without warning, a section of forest exploded in front of him, and Orochimaru leapt out of the smoke.

Orochimaru landed on a tree branch, his left shoulder bleeding. As the smoke began to clear near him revealing Naruto; two hands parted Orochimaru's mouth with sickening sounds, "Even with a Jinchûriki's power…that's the best you can do?" A completely uninjured Orochimaru came out of the injured one's mouth, "Little Fox, you're not even in the same league as Sasuke. Perhaps Sara would have been more of a challenge."

Naruto gave a low growl in response as a fourth tail began to emerge.

**Rampage**

Orochimaru gazed worriedly at Naruto as the fourth tail began to emerge, _this is going to prove interesting…let's see what you've got, Little Fox._

Naruto's growl was cut short, as pain wracked his body, causing him to slump forward, pressing his forehead against his left arm. In his mind, a flood was rising rapidly, the water already at his ankles, _Just you wait…_ The water was now at his knees. _Wait for me…_ Now his chest…_ Sasuke…!_ The water smothered him, and the gate that kept the Nine-Tailed Fox from running rampant was in front of him, the Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes glowing with anticipation as Naruto floated in between the bars of the gate, and the Nine-Tails triumphantly clutched Naruto between his paws.

Naruto suddenly lifted his head, his eyes glowing, as his face started to bleed, as did his hands, shoulders, everywhere part of his body began to bleed.

Orochimaru was really starting to get worried; _something about this feels different…_

Back on the bridge, Yamato shook Sakura gently, "Come on, girl! Up and at 'em!" Sakura stirred slightly, opening her eyes, "Sakura?"

She sat up abruptly as her head throbbed, "Ahh…my head…"

"You okay?" Yamato asked, worriedly.

Sakura answered, "No, sir. But I will be." She glanced in alarm towards the other side of the bridge where a massive amount of chakra made its presence known by shooting towards the sky.

_I've got a bad feeling…_ Yamato thought as he made a hand sign, _Art of the Wood Clone!_ Wood spread off of Yamato's body to form an exact duplicate, who took off towards the other side of the demolished bridge, using Wood Style to reach the other side.

"Naruto…" Sakura said, worried. "Did he…did he do all this?"

"Yes. He's losing control," Yamato stated.

"Where is he now?" Sakura demanded. "And where's Sara?"

"Sara," he pointed towards the sky, where a bird could be seen soaring in circles, "is with Phoenix. I don't know what she has planned though. And Naruto…is on the other side of this bridge…with Orochimaru."

Sai gazed down at the destruction Naruto had caused in the forest; _Naruto's going to be the tricky part…_

The Wood Clone of Yamato made it to the other side of the bridge, just as another massive spike in chakra ripped through the surrounding forest.

Above the forest, and above even Sai, Phoenix shrieked without warning and started to plummet towards Sai, releasing a blast of flames just as the chakra spike occurred.

As the blast of chakra approached the Wood Clone, it quickly made a hand sign, _Wood Style: Domed Wall!_ A domed wall of wood quickly covered him, saving him from the blast.

Sai shielded his face as the debris from the forest hit him, along with the chakra, his cartoon bird was destroyed and he landed on a tree branch. He glanced up towards the sky as he felt a blast of heat, he leapt out of the tree, just in time as it was engulfed in flames. Above, he heard an angry shriek, but he didn't dare look up again. Instead, he moved through the destroyed trees to get away from whatever creature was in the air.

The Wood Clone moved away from the domed wall and stared in terror at the creature in front of him that he could see through the destroyed forest. _Oh, no…_

The creature had the body of a fox, along with the ears, but the face still resembled Naruto's to some extent.

**The Fourth Tail…!**

Phoenix soared above the crater that was in the forest, where a four-tailed fox was crouched, ready to spring at a figure lying sprawled on the ground. Sara assumed it was Orochimaru. Phoenix asked, _"What do you want me to do?"_

"You've never been this cooperative before," Sara stated, getting suspicious.

"_You've grown on me,"_ Phoenix admitted grudgingly, _"Don't get used to it! It's just this one time!"_

"Sure," Sara said, before assessing the situation below. "Stay up here for now. At least until we're sure of how we can help."

The fox gazed steadily at Orochimaru. To Orochimaru's credit, he didn't flinch from the fox, instead, he gagged, and a multitude of snakes erupted from his mouth, and slivered towards the fox.

The fox slashed at the snakes, causing another surge of chakra. Phoenix rose into the air, quickly, trying to keep away from the chakra. "Scared?" Sara questioned.

"_No," _Phoenix stated, _"But we don't need to be in the middle of it either."_

"Good point," she conceded.

The Wood Clone shielded his eyes, _that power…Never seen anything like it!_

_Can't get any closer,_ Sai thought in frustration.

The fox slammed its forepaws into the ground. Orochimaru managed to leap away, as the fox's forepaws came out of the ground right where he had been. The fox's gaze followed his moments, and another forepaw erupted from one of the two that had come out of the ground. Orochimaru managed to maneuver out of its reach, before he slid to a halt and retaliated, a snake erupting from his shirt sleeve and wrapping around the forepaw, but it began to disintegrate as it came into contact with the fox's chakra.

Another Orochimaru sprang out of the mouth of the one that had control of the disintegrating snake and slithered straight towards the fox, managing to land a punch.

As the fox fell backwards, another torso with an arm, sprang from the fox's left shoulder and sliced Orochimaru in half.

Orochimaru's lower upper half sprouted snakes that began to stretch towards the upper part of the lower body that had also sprouted snakes; the snakes wound together, and Orochimaru was once again whole.

The fox leapt to its paws and glared at Orochimaru, who was smirking slightly. The fox growled menacingly.

Back on what was left of the bridge, Yamato muttered to himself, "Don't tell me the fourth tail has emerged…" His gaze was drawn to a fire that was starting to eat at the demolished trees. _I see Phoenix has been at work too…_

Sakura glanced at Yamato before looking away and asking, "Commander Yamato…what haven't you told us about Naruto? What's HAPPENING to him?"

"Sakura…I know he's your friend…but I'm not at liberty to say right now…especially if neither he, nor Sara told you… Rest assured I was chosen as commander for a reason." Sakura gazed at him, hoping he'd continue, but Yamato wasn't going to say any more.

A voice behind them drew their attention, "Well, now…" Kabuto said as he emerged from the forest behind them, "Guess the real Sasori won't be showing up anytime soon… The fact that he revealed the existence and location of this bridge makes me think he was hoping you would take down Lord Orochimaru for him. The Akatsuki is still reeling from Lord Orochimaru's defection, you know. So for him to divulge such sensitive intelligence means Sasori sees your power…" Yamato and Sakura watched him warily as he got closer, "One…he's using you to do his dirty work while planning to stab you in the back afterwards… Two…he's been incapacitated and needs you to fulfill the task for him… Or three, he's dead and this is merely a desperate gamble on your part to remove a superior player in the game."

"Unfortunately, it's the latter," Sakura stated.

Kabuto smirked, "Glad to hear it."

The fox roared loudly, rearing back its head and dense chakra orbs began to gather above its opened maw forming a large, dense, sphere of chakra.

"This is…unfortunate," Orochimaru murmured to himself.

Phoenix began to rise once again, _"That's not good!"_

"What?" Sara demanded.

"_He's going for an all out attack! That chakra is very powerful!"_ Phoenix stated, continuing to rise.

**The Sad Conclusion…**

_"This is why I HATE that fox!" _Phoenix screeched, rising as fast as possible.

I glanced below, "Just remember I'm human, and that if I die, you die too!"

The chakra sphere was fully shaped, and then it condensed, before the fox swallowed it. Orochimaru leapt away as the fox's body began to expand. A massive beam of chakra ripped through the air between Orochimaru and the fox, but a strange barrier came between them.

The shockwave was intense, Phoenix shrieked in shock as he was knocked sideways out of the sky. Sara tried to hang on, but she couldn't get a good grip on his feathers. As she fell she teleported to the ground, and sighed in relief, _"Phoenix…stay up there…just in case I need you later."_

"_Fine by me,"_ Phoenix replied, managing to recover from his own fall.

Sara jumped back as she realized just how close to the action she was. Only three yards away, stood the fox in all its brutal glory. She stepped back slowly, not wanting to attract its attention. Which didn't seem to be a problem, since it was focusing on the clearing smoke; it relieved Orochimaru's mangled form, his limbs at odd angles and his head buried in the ground.

Back on the bridge, Sakura asked, having felt the chakra blast, "Wh-what's happening?" Kabuto stood calmly, almost like he was expecting something.

In the enlarged crater, a sword erupted from the ground, stabbing the fox in the chest and sending him flying towards the bridge. Orochimaru's head and elongated neck came out of the ground, rising high up into the air.

At the bridge, the fox slammed into the side nearest Sakura and Yamato. Sakura stared in horror at the fox, at Naruto.

Kabuto said, smiling, "The Nine-Tails…he's almost there."

"Naruto…" Sakura gasped, not sure how the creature before her could be her goofy, foolish, but always steady comrade.

"This isn't so much a battle between ninja…" Kabuto continued. "…as a battle between monsters." He laughed cruelly.

_Naruto…_ Sakura thought, yanking on her gloves.

Yamato was surprised, "Naruto's on our side of the bridge…" He turned as Sara appeared beside him, a kunai in her hand. _Who is she going to fight?_

The fox yanked the sword out of its body, and smashed it into the ground. Yamato grabbed Sakura and got her safely out of danger, while Sara teleported again, as that side of the bridge crumbled. Kabuto also managed to escape harm.

The sword retracted and Sara thought one thing to Phoenix: _"Burn!"_

She wasn't surprised in the slightest as an angry screech filled the air, before the sound of crackling tongues of flame came from behind her.

Yamato and Sakura turned around to see Phoenix releasing a jet of flame towards the crater where Orochimaru's head still snaked above the treetops. Above Phoenix's screech and much closer, was a roar of fury from the fox.

"Amazing," Kabuto said, drawing attention to himself, "So THAT'S how far Naruto would go to rescue Sasuke."

Sara glared at him, while Sakura's eyes widened in horror and realization. Tears filled her eyes.

"The BOY is gone," Kabuto continued. "Only the monster remains." The fox growled, seeming to emphasize his words. "What a pitiful child…"

The tears rolled down Sakura's cheeks, and she ran forward towards the fox…towards Naruto.

"Sakura!" Sara shouted, only too aware of the danger her comrade was running into.

Yamato shouted, "Sakura, wait! You must stay away from Naruto!"

Sakura shot past Kabuto, and shouted, drawing the fox's attention to her, "Naruto! Please! Don't do this! I'll rescue Sasuke!" She tripped but quickly righted herself, still sprinting, "I'm begging you! Stop this right now!"

_No!_ Sara and Yamato thought, both reacting differently. Yamato made a hand sign, while Sara teleported as the fox swung a paw at Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as she felt two hands grab her right arm, and she was pulled backwards, out of harm's way. Her savior wasn't as lucky…

Sara felt skin rip away from her stomach before she went flying backwards. Her mind registered that she went through several trees before an ancient one with a large circumference stopped her, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her semi-conscious. A screech of pure fury split the air, but she wasn't sure if it was real, as her mind registered that she was bleeding and in immense pain.

Sakura turned towards where she had seen her comrade, Naruto's best friend, go flying, "Sara!" She screamed, tears still spilling down her face.

The fox swung a tail at Sakura this time and landed a hit on her left shoulder, before Yamato managed to keep the fox still with his Wood Style ninjutsu.

_I was too late…_ Yamato thought, keeping his eyes on the fox. Movement from Kabuto distracted him. Kabuto was walking towards Sakura, who lay, in pain, on the ground.

Kabuto glanced at Yamato as a wooden beam wrapped around his wrist, stopping him from getting any nearer to Sakura. "I won't let you hurt them," Yamato stated.

"You misunderstand," Kabuto said. "I no longer have any intention of hurting any of you. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

"What do you mean?" Yamato demanded, as Kabuto sent his jutsu towards Sakura, even though he was a several feet away from her. Sakura's wound began to heal as Kabuto healed her shoulder.

"We have a common enemy," Kabuto explained. "The Akatsuki are a nuisance. If we let you live I'm hoping you can get rid of at least one other Akatsuki member for us…perhaps."

Sakura began to come out of her own pain, and she stared at the fox…Naruto. _Naruto…_

With a roar of fury, the fox started to rip away from its wooden bonds.

Kabuto looked up at the fox, "Then again, he's one of yours. Seems appropriate you all should clean up after him." He glanced back at the trail of destroyed trees that showed where Sara had gone flying, "And she's too much of a nuisance, you'll have to deal with her as well." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Yamato grunted and slumped forward slightly, before turning his attention to the fox, _Now's my chance!_ He made several hand signs before shouting, "Hokage Style: Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict of Enlightenment!" He held out his right palm, which had a kanji on it, and rammed it against the fox's chest, before leaping away quickly as ten wooden pillars with spikes on them surrounded the fox.

A light came from his chest, and the fox slowly began to seep away, revealing a bloody Naruto.

Sakura stood up shakily, and watched, _Naruto…_ He screamed in pain.

**The Secret Mission**

Sara slowly came out of pain…or more accurately, she had adjusted to it. Sometime within her realm of pain, she had pressed her right arm against her stomach to staunch the bleeding. A tremor went through the ground, and a reddish glow came over her. Glancing up, a small smile came onto her face. Phoenix crouched over her protectively, his wings spread out, ready to buffet any enemy with the gale force from his wing beats.

Phoenix screeched in anger, as he flapped his wings threateningly. "Sara…" A voice called out tentatively. "Call him off!"

She turned her attention back towards the bridge and saw Yamato staring warily at Phoenix. _"Phoenix…he's only trying to help…I think it's time you returned to my body…"_

Phoenix lowered his head until he was at eye level with her. His burning gaze stayed locked with her gaze for several seconds before he disappeared.

Yamato sighed loudly in relief, before he picked Sara up carefully, conscious of the fact that too much jostling might start the bleeding again. When he returned, he found Sakura hunched over Naruto, healing him. He set Sara down, and squatted next to Sakura. Sara watched them from her position on the ground.

The blood was slowly receding from Naruto, as Sakura continued to heal him, _in the past, the Nine-Tails' chakra gave Naruto accelerated healing… So, why is this taking so long?_

_I can't believe the fourth tail Jiraiya mentioned is this fearsome…_ Yamato thought gazing at the damage done to Naruto, Sara, and Sakura.

"Hah!" Sakura increased the size of her healing jutsu, and her shoulder wound gave a thrum of pain. She grunted in pain, but continued to heal him. Naruto gritted his teeth in pain, a sound escaping him.

"Commander Yamato," Sakura said softly. Yamato turned to face her, "That jutsu you used to pacify Naruto… could you please teach it to me?"

Yamato lowered his gaze, for a second before looking her right in the eyes, "I'm sorry, but that won't be possible… I am the only one who can use that jutsu, and only because I carry Lord First's DNA within me." A sad smile crossed his face, "Yet all I am is an experiment, a pale copy of the original Lord First… Yes, I have power but nowhere near enough to forcibly suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra." He glanced at the necklace around Naruto's neck, "That necklace around his neck…used to belong to the First Hokage. It's a chakra crystal that responds to his chakra alone. I use it to bring the Jinchûriki's host power under control… It is said the Lord First qualified to be Hokage partly because of this ability. It is also why I was chosen to be your commander."

"It's always like this," Sakura said quietly. Yamato glanced at her, "The only things I can ever do for them are these little things."

Sara croaked, "Which is always greatly appreciated."

Sakura scolded her, "You should be saving your strength!"

"I've never been one for following instructions," Sara smiled.

Sakura grumbled, "You really should start!"

Sara grinned, while Yamato smiled slightly, "She's right though, Sakura. It doesn't matter whether the things you do are large or small. What matters is how much you care about them…particularly Naruto." Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed. Yamato laughed softly, "I've seen it, Sakura. I know just how much you…"

Naruto came to then, "S-Sakura…" He sat up, and rubbed the back of his head as it gave a throb of pain, "Oh…ow!"

"Naruto!" Sakura said in relief, forgetting about Sara temporarily.

"Huh? What happened…why am I?" Naruto wondered. Sakura began to cry again, "Whoa! Why are you crying, Sakura?" He leapt up and glared around wildly, ready to clobber somebody, "I swear if that sharp tongued snake Sai said something hurtful to you again…like ugly! Or monster strength…I will personally kick his…"

Sakura punched him, "YOU'RE the snake, moron! Adding monster strength to the list!"

"Speaking of Sai," Sakura said, as Naruto landed with a loud thud and "ow". "Where is he?"

"Sakura," Sara croaked sarcastically, "As much as I know that you LOVE Sai, I would like to get fixed up."

"Right!" Sakura said, starting to heal Sara's stomach wound.

Naruto had missed the fact that Sara was on the ground, injured, as he gazed at the destroyed bridge, _the bridge…what happened?_

"Sai?" Yamato said, having been contacted by his Wood Clone, "He's on the move with Orochimaru right now."

"What?" Sakura, Naruto, and Sara, shouted (or said in Sara's case).

Yamato nodded at Sara, "I'll explain once she's healed."

"Bright Eyes!" Naruto exclaimed. "What happened? How'd you get so badly injured?"

"I'm not going into that right now," Sara muttered, her voice sounding stronger.

Ten minutes later, as they walked into the crater that had been created when Naruto, in his four tails state, and fought against Orochimaru.

Naruto commented, "The soil's real soft here…the bridge is wrecked…Bright Eyes was injured…" (He had not noticed Sakura's wound yet). "…and all this… What in the world happened?"

"You don't remember anything?" Yamato questioned. _It's just as Jiraiya said…_

"Wait!" Naruto asked, "Does this have anything to do with why I was unconscious?"

Yamato glanced at Sakura, as did Sara. Sakura shook her head slightly at Sara, who scowled as Sakura said, "You got attacked and knocked out by Orochimaru."

"No way! Seriously?" Naruto shouted.

Yamato glanced at Sakura, while Sara assessed the crater, unwilling to look at Sakura. Her gaze rested on the massive puddle of ink and Sai's stuff lying near it.

Sakura walked towards the pack and picked up Sai's hand drawn photo album, "Sai's stuff's all over the place."

"For him to have left his prized possessions behind," Yamato stated. "Even he must have been rattled by Orochimaru."

"Then you know what's going on?" Sara questioned, turning towards him. Pain flashing in her eyes for a second, as Sakura's words rang in her head, _Sakura was wrapping bandages around Sara's midsection, "You'll have to take it easy…after healing Naruto…I'm only able to heal the wound partway…just don't push yourself to far. Try not to twist or stretch the wound, all right?"_

Yamato noticed the flash of pain in her eyes, but he didn't say anything about it, "Until just now, I was in communication with my Wood Clone who was here, via our wireless implants."

"What happened to Sai?" Sakura asked.

"Well," Yamato said. "After exchanging words with Orochimaru here, Sai left with him and Kabuto."

"What do you mean, 'left with'?" Naruto questioned.

Sakura stated, "So you also know what they said to each other."

Yamato said, "Unfortunately, my double was too far away to overhear anything."

"Wonder what they talked about?" Naruto mused.

Sakura guessed, "Maybe he was threatened or intimidated into going with them?"

Yamato was thoughtful, "no…it didn't seem like that. He approached Orochimaru of his own accord and handed him something as if he was trying to curry favor with Orochimaru."

"Whoa! Hang on!" Naruto said, "I don't like the guy either, but he wouldn't betray us!"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sara murmured, activating her Devil's Eyes.

"Sara may be right," Sakura said, remembering her talk with Tsunade and her explanation of Danzo. She turned to Yamato, "Commander…Are you familiar with a man called Danzo?"

"I do know him… He's a member of the Hawk Faction that once opposed the Third Hokage," Yamato answered.

"Who is he?" Naruto asked.

"A geezer who is Sai's superior," Sakura explained. "And he doesn't think highly of the Third Hokage's legacy."

"Is he that old geezer I was rude to?" Sara questioned. Sakura nodded. "Now I don't feel so bad!"

As Sakura rolled her eyes at Sara, Yamato said thoughtfully, "Danzo may be plotting something using Sai…" Naruto gazed at him questioningly. "It's possible Sai received orders from Danzo to carry out some top-secret mission separate from ours."

"You mean…all this time…Sai's been a double agent?" Naruto questioned.

Sakura nodded, "That's right."

Yamato said, "Listen up…this is just a wild guess, but it might not be out of the question… Danzo may be planning to destroy the Leaf Village."

"What?" Naruto and Sara shouted in perfect unison.

"He may be trying to conspire with Orochimaru…" Yamato stated. "…to get him to attack the Leaf Village once more, in order to overthrow Lady Tsunade."

Sakura added, "After the current regime has fallen he would rebuild the village as he envisions it and install himself as Hokage."

"He's probably making his move now," Sara stated. Having caught on to how Danzo acted. "Having seen Orochimaru fail the first time has made him think that he is in a position where he can negotiate." Yamato nodded, impressed with the two kunoichi.

"N-no way," Naruto said. "You mean Sai's top secret mission…"

"May be to join Orochimaru's ranks and become the conduit between him and Danzo," Sakura finished.

Sara closed her eyes, _part of me is relieved I'm not the only one with a secret mission…but this…_ She opened her eyes as Yamato spoke.

"Depending on the situation," he said. "We may have to do something about Sai…"

_Great!_ Sara thought sourly, _another person I may have to kill!_

Yamato continued, taking a step forward, "Right now, my clone is pursuing them but I don't know what might happen… So we need to get moving immediately."

Naruto adjusted his pack, "All right! Let's…" he collapsed.

"Naruto?" Sakura shouted.

Sara exclaimed, "Hey! Naruto?"

Sakura propped Naruto up and shook him, "Naruto! Wake up! Naruto!" _He hasn't fully recovered from all the damage._ She glanced at Sara, _and I know she hasn't either. I saw her eyes glaze over with pain for a brief second earlier…_ Glancing at Yamato, "I know time is of the essence but with Naruto in this state, and Sara…"

"Then we'll have to leave him behind. Sara too in necessary," Yamato stated bluntly. "They should have enough strength to get back to the village…"

"I'm perfectly fine!" Sara snapped. Glaring at Yamato and Sakura, "I don't know why you two are making such a fuss!"

Yamato stared her down, "I saw your eyes glaze with pain when you turned to face me earlier. I'm not blind." Sara became silent, though her eyes blazed.

"Kakashi-sensei would never…" Sakura began.

Naruto came to just then, "S'okay, Sakura…I'm fine…I swear…I can keep up…"

"Look," Yamato said, "I've been teamed with Kakashi before. In the Black Ops…I know what he's like. I may be his substitute, but I'm not him. I'm not the type to laugh and say _"I would never let you guys get hurt!"_ You three are no longer apprentice ninja that need to be protected. You're full fledged shinobi that must one day surpass Kakashi and bear the Leaf Village on your shoulders. There is a difference between compassion and coddling. If we don't chase after them now, we'll never catch Orochimaru. If we falter here, it's all over. There are no second chances when it comes to Orochimaru."

Sakura was quiet, as was Sara. Naruto said, "Sakura…"

"I know…" she finally said.

Naruto glanced at Sara, "Bright Eyes…"

"I've been carrying the weight of the Leaf Village already," her eyes bored into Yamato. "YOU may not be anything like Kakashi, but **I **am!" She glanced at both her teammates, "I'm not the type to let my teammates get injured, not after…"

Sakura and Naruto gazed in sympathy at her, knowing that she was referring to her uncle, Enaki.

Yamato wondered, _what's she talking about? Is there an incident in her past that I'm unaware of? Maybe the story behind that scar over her eye…I'll have to ask Kakashi about it later…_

Sara suddenly smiled, "If the Commander won't watch out for you two," she gestured at Naruto and Sakura. "I will."

"Who says we need looking after?" Naruto grunted as he sat up.

Sakura smiled as she stood, "Yeah, you're more likely to need us looking after you!"

**The Source of Strength**

Several minutes later, Team Kakashi was sailing through the trees, following Yamato.

Sakura used her injured arm to grab a branch, and it gave a painful throb. She gasped in pain and lost her grip, tumbling towards the ground.

"Sakura!" Sara and Naruto shouted.

Before either of them could act, Yamato caught Sakura, and set her gently down near the trunk of a tree.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, worriedly.

_The Nine-Tails' chakra…like a poison…_ Yamato thought, _it must have entered her body through her wounds. Even with her medical ninjutsu it was still too much for Sakura to handle. Which only makes Naruto's seemingly immunity to it, that much more impressive. _His gaze drifted to Sara, _her own immunity to it is just as perplexing, but Phoenix must be neutralizing it…at least that's what I can assume…_

Sakura glanced at the wound, trying to explain how she got them to Naruto, "Th-these are… wounds Orochimaru inflicted earlier. But they only hurt a little now, so don't worry I'm fine!"

"Sakura, don't overdo it!" Naruto said, his voice filled with worry.

Yamato glanced at Sakura, before he said, "Let's take a break. Sakura is our one and only medic ninja. We need her hale and hearty for our mission to succeed."

"I said I'm fine!" Sakura snapped angrily. "We have to get moving again! You said it yourself, commander…if we falter here, it's all over!"

"I know what I said, Sakura," Yamato said. "But it's also said that haste makes waste. Charging in right now might get the job done. But being rash and reckless most certainly will not."

Naruto added, "Besides, you're our one and only monster strength medic ninja! We need you hale and hearty, like the commander said!"

"Will you quit it with the monster strength nonsense already!" Sakura shouted.

"Now that Sai's gone," Yamato said, ignoring Sakura's outburst. "You'll be my wingman Naruto. Sara, you'll be watching all of our back's as before… Since we have a moment, let's work out our attack patterns. Sara, Naruto, come with me."

Sara had a feeling she knew the Commander's real intent, "Yes sir."

"Yes sir!" Naruto said following both of them.

_I think this is far enough, _Yamato thought, stopping.

"Okay, so where do we start?" Naruto asked.

"Actually, before we go into that," Yamato said, glancing at Sara. "There's something I…we need to tell you." Naruto looked between Sara and Yamato. "It wasn't Orochimaru that hurt Sakura and Sara earlier…it was you."

Sakura, meanwhile, sat underneath the tree, and glanced at her pack, _that's right…I forgot…_ she reached into her pack, pulling out Sai's book.

Naruto was shocked beyond words, but he finally managed to say, remembering how Jiraiya had told him about an earlier incident when he had lost control over the fox's chakra, "So then…that bridge and that gouged out terrain…and their wounds…"

"Yeah," Sara said quietly. "Sakura lied to protect you, but sometimes lying about things only makes it worse."

"Bright Eyes…" Naruto muttered, unsure of what else to say.

Yamato said, "Look, that Nine-Tails chakra of yours…I have a special power that enables me to suppress Jinchûriki. So you don't need to worry too much about that. Just…I can only help when I'm nearby. In other words, we didn't have to tell you any of this, but there's a reason that I wanted to…"

"We…" Sara muttered darkly, glaring at the commander. Still stinging from his earlier comments.

Yamato nodded, showing he had heard her, "Using the Nine-Tails power might give you a short-cut to rescuing Sasuke but you can't depend on it because it's not YOUR power. The more you use it the more you only hurt, not only yourself, but those around you. Those you care about. Just like you did today… I know you've started to become aware of it. But the reason you didn't stop the power from leaking out is because you enjoyed the rush it gave you, didn't you?" Naruto lowered his gaze. "Starting now, I'm going to completely suppress the Nine-Tails' power. But don't think that's going to make you weak. I believe you're plenty strong on your own, just from what I've seen."

"I…" Naruto started to say.

Sara interrupted, "You're plenty strong without that stupid fox helping you out!"

Yamato laughed, "See? Even your teammate believes in you! If you really want to help Sasuke, do it using your own power. If you want to protect Sakura, do it with your own strength. See yourself with the clarity of vision you already possess. Not with the eyes of the Nine-Tails."

Naruto looked at both of them and nodded, "Yes!"

Sakura was flipping through Sai's picture book and wondered, aloud, "What is this…? This book…"

Yamato, meanwhile, had spread out a scroll and was illustrating for Sara and Naruto several battle scenarios, "In this situation…" He noticed that both Naruto and Sara had glanced towards Sakura. "Pay attention!"

"All of you, come here!" Sakura shouted. They all looked at her, baffled, "Now!"

As they approached, Naruto said, "Hey! That's Sai's…!"

They all squatted down near Sakura and looked at the book. Naruto said, "If Sai drew these…we are in SERIOUS trouble…"

**Sai's Picture Book**

"Weird pictures," Naruto commented.

Yamato said, "Sai drew these, huh?"

As Sakura flipped through the pages, Sara said, holding down the center page, "This one is really out of place versus how they others have looked at a glance."

Sakura nodded, "It does."

"That and creepy," Naruto said.

One of the center pages was blank, while the other had a drawing of a black haired boy, with no face.

"I wonder why he left it blank?" Sakura mused.

Sara said, "You can learn a lot about an artist through their work."

"Perhaps Sai's work will tell us what we need to know about him," Yamato added.

"Good point," Sakura said. "Let's see…this seems to be the tale of the two boys drawn on the covers. Each boy's adventure begins separately, starting with the cover at either end and heading towards the middle. But there's no dialogue or text."

"No words? Just pictures?" Naruto questioned. "What kind of stupid story is this?"

"That's what I'm not sure about," Sakura said. "For example, in the case of the black haired boy…"

They all stared at the first page of the black haired boy wearing simple black clothes with no weapon while he faced a grim reaper like opponent, who held a kunai. Sakura flipped the page to reveal the black haired boy again, holding a kunai and having a black scarf added onto his attire. This time he faced a chubby armored ninja with a scythe that was connected to a chain.

Sakura said, "The right hand page always shows the boy and the left-hand page has a different character on it each time…see?" She flipped the page again.

This time the boy had armor and a scythe with a chain connected to it and his opponent looked like a phantom Anbu Black Op, who held a bow with a blade at the end of it.

Sara was about to say something about how the boy always seemed to get the clothes and weapons from the previous opponent, but Naruto beat her to the punch, "Wait! Go back to that last page for a sec!"

Sakura stared at him, wondering if he had lost his mind, but she obliged, turning the page back to the previous one.

Naruto pointed at the page, "See! On each page that kid looks a little different, and not only that he's holding the same weapon as the character from the previous left-hand page…"

"It seems the story is about the boy defeating various enemies," Yamato said.

"And taking their weapons and armor like spoils of war," Sakura added as she flipped the page.

Sara said, "Just like Naruto pointed out, it's the same every time."

"With each battle, the boy matures," Yamato stated. "Gains knowledge, wisdom, strength…"

"Though the orientation is flipped," Sakura said, glancing through the white haired boy's story, "the premise is the same for the white haired boy too." She closed the book.

"Hey," Naruto said, squinting. "Doesn't the black haired boy look an awful lot like Sai?"

Sakura stared at the cover for a few seconds, "You're right!"

"Perhaps he was drawing his own story," Yamato suggested.

"Who's the other kid than?" Sara asked.

Sakura remember her earlier discussion with Sai about the book and he had said that it was for his brother, "I think…it might be Sai's older brother… Which would mean the centerfold was meant to be Sai and his brother together…"

Yamato got to his feet, "Let's head out. My clone has tracked down Orochimaru's hideout."

Sakura, Naruto, and Sara turned to look at him, surprise showing in their eyes. Sara commented as she stood, "That was fast."

"Well, my clone has been tailing them for awhile," Yamato said, chuckling.

**Sai's Betrayal**

Racing after Yamato, Sakura said, out of the blue, "Naruto. Sara." They both turned to face her, "This time, we'll bring Sasuke back together."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto agreed.

Sara wondered, her stomach tightening, _why is she saying that to me? She begged Naruto to save Sasuke last time… Plus…I have a different mission if Sasuke proves that his loyalties lie elsewhere…_

After several minutes of running, the Leaf shinobi slowed in a barren wasteland, where Yamato's clone was waiting peeking around the side of a rocky hill.

"This is it," the clone said. "The entrance is underneath that rock formation directly in front of us."

Naruto wanted to clarify, "So under there…is Sasuke…?"

"Yup," Sakura said, nodding.

"Then let's get going," Sara said, wanting this mission to be over and done with. One way or the other, Sasuke wouldn't remain with Orochimaru.

Naruto nodded and took a step forward, but Yamato put his arm in front of him, blocking his path, "Wait." He placed his hand on his clone's back. The clone withered and gave some seeds to Yamato, three total, "Swallow this first…all of you." They all gave him wary looks, "These are for if we get separated I can locate you right away."

"What exactly are they though?" Sakura asked, taking one of the seeds, eyeing it suspiciously.

Yamato answered, "These seeds are transmitters for tracking. It's a ninja tool that only resonates to my chakra. I planted a few in Sai's clothing and his meals.

"That explains so much," Sara muttered. "That's why you insisted on those luxuries while we were traveling."

"Huh?" Naruto glanced at Sara, not comprehending what she said.

Yamato explained, before Sara could, "I put them into Sai's clothes, and the meals when we were at the hot springs. I got out first, remember?" Naruto's eyes shone when he finally understood. "It's a good thing I planned ahead, especially with Sai. It was just as Lady Tsunade said. But enough about the past…" They all swallowed the seeds, "Focus on the mission ahead. Ready you three?"

"Yes, sir," Sakura said.

Sara said, "Ready."

"Sasuke here we come!" Naruto said, ready to head into Orochimaru's lair.

Yamato nodded, "Our order of infiltration will be me first, then Sakura, followed by Naruto, and Sara will be last."

"As usual," Sara stated, rolling her eyes.

"And the infiltration method?" Sakura questioned.

Yamato said, "By the book. I'll use Earth Style Jutsu, and we'll approach from underground."

Naruto stared into the distance, towards Orochimaru's lair, _We've finally found you…Sasuke…_

After tunneling for several minutes, Yamato found his way blocked by a boulder, "Looks like the hideout's completely surrounded by rock."

"Let me blast a hole through with my Rasengan!" Naruto said, tired of waiting.

Sara punched him in the back of the head, "Idiot. That would alert them to our presence!"

"How else are we going to get through then?" Naruto questioned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Through stealth," Yamato said, studying the rock.

Naruto asked, "But how?"

"Found it," Yamato said, pressing his kunai tip against a crack in the boulder, "The more solid the rock face, the less force need be applied to a small fissure and…" The boulder crumbled away, leaving a decent sized hole. "Voila! There you go."

Once they were all through the hole, Sakura said, "Infiltration accomplished…now what?"

"First," Yamato answered. "We look for Sai."

Creeping around corners, Yamato was constantly saying, "All clear…keep moving…" He picked up the pace around one corner, and started hurrying, "He's close!" He paused at a doorway, and grew a wooden key out of his finger as he inserted it into the lock. Within a few seconds the door was unlocked, and Yamato pushed it open, "There you are."

Sai whipped around and stared at them in surprise. Before he gave them a fake smile, "Trust a Black Ops member directly assigned to the Hokage not to be fooled by that corpse."

"Now," Yamato said as the key receded back into his finger. "Why don't you tell us what's going on."

Naruto wasn't in the mood for Sai's games, though. He grabbed Sai's shirt and shouted, "Yeah, you jerk! Why'd you betray us?" Sara glanced at the door, making sure that no one had been alerted to their presence.

"I wouldn't make so much noise here if I were you," Sai stated calmly. "It'll lead to trouble."

Naruto practically growled, "You lousy…"

"Naruto!" Sakura cut him off.

Naruto angrily released Sai's shirt, "Whatever!"

"Here…" Sakura said, holding out Sai's picture book. "This is yours, isn't it?"

Sai accepted the book from her, "Thanks."

"Danzo gave you orders, didn't he?" Sakura continued, watching Sai's reactions carefully. "He's trying to ally with Orochimaru for some purpose and you were selected to be their go-between… So what's he plotting."

Yamato said, "He's proposing Operation: Destroy the Hidden Leaf Village: Take Two isn't he?

"No, you're…" Sai started to say a fake smile on his face, once again.

Naruto interrupted him, "Stop smiling! I know you're just faking it! Everything you say is nothing but a big, fat LIE!"

They all watched Sai's reaction to Naruto's words as silence started to span between them. Sai finally said, "Well, now that you've finally figured me out…seems my mission is officially a failure. But since I can't take on all of you together and since you've guessed so much already, there's no point in hiding the truth any longer… You are correct. The plan was to get rid of the Leaf as we know it.

"What?" Naruto said, aghast.

Sai continued to give them a fake smile, "My mission was to find an opportunity to approach Orochimaru and entice him to help destroy the Hidden Leaf Village."

Yamato pointed his kunai at Sai, while Sara moved closer to the door, listening for any approaching footsteps, "Keep talking. I want ALL the details."

"What more is there to know?" Naruto demanded. "He's a traitor and a—."

"Do not rush to judge me, Naruto, until you have ALL the facts," Sai stated. This surprised all of the Leaf ninja. "I was ordered to secretly report back Orochimaru's activities to Lord Danzo. In short, to act as his spy."

"Enter a conspiracy with Orochimaru while playing him at the same time? That's an extremely dangerous game," Sakura commented.

Sai was silent for a brief second, "Well, if the Leaf Village, DID fall, we expected Orochimaru to try to betray us at some point, so, consider this our way of maintaining the upper hand."

"So Danzo wants the Leaf Village for himself. And you were sent in alone to set all this in motion…" Sakura clarified.

Sai said, "I was specifically chosen for this mission because of my abilities. The intelligence I write can transform itself into little creatures that can defend themselves while traveling back to the Leaf."

"If the Leaf Village falls a lot of people will die," Sara stated quietly. "Are you aware of those consequences of what you're doing?"

Sai answered, "Well…I'm just following orders."

Naruto and Sara glared at Sai, as Sakura said, "Sai…how can you…"

"Oh, and Sai is just a name I was given for this mission, I'm actually, nobody."

"Nobody and…" Sara sighed instead of saying Sai, "are not that much different. What's the point of being nobody?"

"I am merely an extension of Lord Danzo's will. I myself do not exist. Therefore, it's useless to say anything to me."

Sakura's gaze drifted to the picture book, "Then why do you carry around that picture book?" Sai looked at her in surprise, and then glanced at the book in his hand, as if he had forgotten it was there. "The two boys on the covers are you and your brother, right? You hang on to it because it is the only thing that proves you actually do exist." Sai gazed at her questioningly. "You're not as emotionless as you'd have everyone believe."

Sara added to Sakura's words, "Not even shinobi can cut off their feelings completely."

"How does possessing this book translate into proving my existence?" Sai questioned.

Sakura answered, "Because, abandoning it means abandoning your identity as a brother. And that's something you just can't bring yourself to do. Do you know why?" Sai remained silent. "Because your bond with your older brother still matters to you it's that important." Sai's eyes widened. "You don't want to erase your relationship with him."

"Relationship?" Sai questioned softly.

Yamato continued to point his kunai at Sai, "Sorry, but we flipped through your picture book. The centerfold is the only illustration that's incomplete. By the flow of the visual narrative from cover to cover it seems the next logical battle would be with your brother…"

Sara glanced at Yamato, _that doesn't sound right…the picture in Sai's book didn't look like a battle one…unless Sai was holding his brother's head…but the arm's angle would be off then…_

"Sai," Yamato continued. "I know you're from the Foundation. You've received special training from Danzo to kill all emotions. Evil exercises…similar to that which used to be practiced in the Village of Bloody Mist. So did you do it? Did you **kill** your brother?"

"No!" Sai stated startling most of Team Kakashi. "This book…it was supposed to be a gift…but just before I completed it, he…got sick and died… We may not have been related by blood but he was the closest thing to a family I ever had." Naruto and Sara gazed at him in sympathy. "There are a lot of children from families torn apart by warfare in the Foundation. My brother treated me like a REAL sibling. This picture book… What I wanted to show him the most was the final centerfold…but after he died… I couldn't remember what I had been planning to draw."

Sara suddenly said, "We need to get out of here…someone's coming…their footsteps are echoing from down the hall."

Yamato nodded and quickly incapacitated Sai by wrapping wood around his arms and midsection, as he led the way out of Orochimaru's lair.

Outside, Yamato said, "Sorry, Sai, but I'm going to have to leave you here with my Wood Clone standing watch." Sai gazed at him wordlessly.

"All right," Naruto said as he cracked his knuckles. "Now down to our real business… Let's go rescue Sasuke!"

Sai looked at Naruto, before lowering his gaze and saying, "And what if he doesn't want to be rescued." Naruto and Sakura gazed at Sai in surprise while Sara stared at him indifferently. "I actually got to meet him," Sai continued. This surprised all of them, "But Orochimaru is always at his side. Cross him and he'll tear you to pieces and use your body for his experiments… Besides…even though Sakura told me you think of Sasuke as a brother…he said that you mean **nothing** to him. So…why…?" Sakura looked sadly at the ground while Naruto and Sara remained impassive. ""Do you still care so much? Why stand up to the likes of Orochimaru and risk your own life to save someone who doesn't want to be saved? Why? It's not like anyone's ordering you to."

Naruto suddenly grinned, "When I first met Sasuke, I totally hated him...but at the same time, I also really enjoyed being around him. 'Cuz he really accepted me more than anyone else…" He added as an afterthought, "Apart from Bright Eyes, of course!"

"I'm so glad I'm an afterthought," Sara grouched quietly.

Naruto continued, missing Sara's grouching, "I'm doing this because Sasuke is my FRIEND and that's a bond that can NEVER be broken."

"Bond…?" Sai's eyes widened in amazement, which soon faded, "But still…to go up against Orochimaru?"

Naruto was really grinning now, "If he tears my arms off, I'll kick him dead. If he tears my legs off, I'll bite him dead. If he tears my neck off, I'll glare him dead. And if he pokes my eyes out, I'll curse him dead." Sai was truly amazed now. "Let Orochimaru try and cut me to pieces…I'll still find a way to steal Sasuke back!"

**Behind the Betrayal**

Yamato said, "Let me create the lookout so we can go back in." They all whipped around (apart from a tied up Sai) and leapt out of range as kunai hit the ground where they had been standing only milliseconds before.

All of them slid to halts as Kabuto landed in front of Sai, "From the looks of it, Sai…you've been captured." Sai was slightly surprised at Kabuto's sudden appearance. "Well, you don't appear to have betrayed us…I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." He sliced through the wood that bound Sai.

"That Kabuto…such a pest," Sakura muttered darkly.

Naruto shouted as Sai stood, "If you try to stop us, Sai…we won't hold back!"

Above them, perched on the rocky hill, two of Naruto's clones made the Rasengan and the one with the Rasengan rushed at Kabuto.

Kabuto easily dispatched the clone with a kick, "You're wasting your time."

"No way to know without trying!" Naruto snapped.

"No, no," Kabuto said, grinning. "I'm not talking about that…when I look at you it's really pathetic." Naruto glared at him. "People change. Sasuke is no longer the boy you knew." Kabuto expected Naruto to charge, but he was surprised when Naruto seemed to calm down. That's when he turned around in surprise, feeling something get a hold of his arms. "Wha?" They all gazed in surprise at Sai, who was keeping Kabuto from attacking. "What are you doing?"

"But some things don't change," Sai stated.

Naruto was surprised, "Sai…you…"

"Bonds…" Sai said, "I'd like to learn more about them."

"…Sai…" Sakura said softly.

Sara stared at Sai for a few seconds before lowering her gaze, _Sai's doing more to help rescue Sasuke then I will be…if what Kabuto says is true…_

Yamato wasn't going to waste the opportunity Sai had given them, "That's it, Sai! Hold him like that a little longer…"

Kabuto was soon in the same position Sai had been in only moments before. This time, Yamato created his Wood Clone right away.

Naruto glanced at Sai, "Sai…what is up with you…?"

"I'm curious about this bond you and Sasuke share that keeps you going after him…the how and why…" Sakura stared at him in amazement. "Watching the two of you makes me realize that perhaps I haven't been able to erase my bond with my brother. And if Sakura is right…if that really is such an important thing to me…perhaps I can figure out why by observing the bond between you and Sasuke. That's all…"

Naruto started to smile at Sai when Kabuto ruined the team moment, "You just don't get Sasuke at all!" He started to laugh.

"Stop laughing! You think this is funny?" Sakura demanded.

Yamato cut right to the chase, "Enough. Where is he?"

Kabuto glared up at him, "By now he's probably finished training and has retired to one of the inner rooms. This place is riddled with self-contained rooms, you know. You'll have to check room by room in order to find him. But if you're not careful, poking the wrong bush will flush out some snakes. For Lord Orochimaru's private quarters are located near there as well."

"Thank you for your honesty," Yamato said.

Kabuto grinned again, "Oh no, no need to thank me."

"Because we're going to get killed anyway?" Yamato guessed.

"Yes."

Yamato wasn't unnerved, "As Naruto said, no way to know without trying."

Several minutes later, Team Kakashi was back within the confines of the Orochimaru's hideout.

"All right, we'll split up here," Yamato said. "Sakura and I will be one group, Naruto and Sai the other, and Sara…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my own," Sara finished.

Yamato sighed but he quickly recovered, "If anything goes wrong, just manipulate your chakra. It'll activate the tree seed inside you and alert me. I'll come running right away."

They all nodded, before heading there separate ways. Naruto set the pace for him and Sai, charging down the halls and throwing open doors. Flinging open another door he said, "Nope not here either…"

"That's it for this level," Sai said, gasping for breath. "Let's check the next one."

Naruto nodded, "Yup!" He took off like a shot, but he stumbled, sliding several inches.

"Naruto…Yamato split us up so we could check three times as many rooms in the same amount of time. Just take it easy…"

Naruto snapped, getting to his feet, "Shut up! There's no time to rest! We've got to find Sasuke." He collapsed again, _I'm still weak from being in the Nine-Tails state…_

Sai bent down and started to help Naruto to lean against a wall to catch his breath. Once they were sitting against the wall, "Boy, you really are like him." Sai started to pull off his pack. Naruto stared at him in confusion. "My older brother. He was loud-mouthed and impatient too…unrefined…uncouth… But you know when he did something…he always gave it his all, just like you." Naruto couldn't help smiling a bit at that as Sai pulled out his picture book. "Watching you has helped me remember him…" His eyes widened suddenly and he whipped out his drawing supplies.

"Hey!" Naruto said, "Drawing? NOW?"

Sai said, not looking at him, "I remembered…I finally remembered…!" He finished the centerfold's drawing. "The dream drawing that I wanted to show my brother." Sai smiled, embarrassed, but it was genuine.

Naruto grinned with him, but he turned sharply as he heard footsteps close by.

"Tell me, Sai," Orochimaru said. "Whose side are you REALLY on?"

**The Reunion**

Meanwhile, Sara was opening doors WAY underground, working her way back up to the level where she and the others had started off in. Moving cautiously, Sara opened another door, she was surprised when the whole wall moved. A hissing sound greeted her ears. She tried to shut the door, but a massive snout blocked it, and a forked tongue flicked out. "Damn it!" Sara swore as she whipped around and started heading towards the higher levels, three snakes on her heels. She figured the snakes were making enough noise, so she shouted, "Why am I the one who always finds the snakes?"

Back with Naruto and Sai, Orochimaru had some snakes up his sleeve, using his Striking Snake technique, two serpents shot towards Naruto and Sai. Leaping out of reach of the snakes, Orochimaru said, "The wrong side apparently, my dear, Sai."

"You go find Sasuke, Sai," Naruto said, keeping his eyes on Orochimaru. "Leave ol' snake face to me!" Sai didn't move. "Go!"

Sai finally said, "All right."

"We'll meet you outside…good luck!" Naruto added, as Sai took off down the hall.

Orochimaru watched Sai leave, "So you came here to retrieve Sasuke, eh? I commend your zeal, but I assure you, the outcome of this will not be in your favor…"

"Shut up!" Naruto snapped. "First I'm gonna take you down then I'm bringing Sasuke home!"

A level or two below Naruto, Sakura threw open a door, "He's not here, either…"

Yamato glanced up, causing Sakura to glance at him in confusion. "Naruto's chakra. Something's up…come on!"

"Yes, sir!" Sakura said.

Still running several levels below, Sara whipped around a corner and came to a halt, "That's it! I'm not running from some oversized snakes!" She made some hand signs, bringing one hand to her mouth, her index finer forming a circle with her hand, _Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!_ The snakes hissed in pain and fury but Sara kept up the fireball until they were lying, motionless, in the hall. She focused on Naruto's chakra and teleported.

Sai, meanwhile, pulled out a scroll and made a slew of mice that came alive off the scroll and darted into the numerous rooms on that level.

Orochimaru laughed as Naruto's attempt to use a jutsu failed, "What happened to all your energy?"

His eyes widened as Sara appeared beside Naruto, "I've got your back." Naruto grinned.

"You again, Orochimaru…" Yamato said, startling Naruto and Sara, as he and Sakura stopped running just behind them.

Orochimaru snorted, "Remember, Naruto this makes twice that I've let you live. A debt I'll hope you'll someday repay by eliminating at least one more Akatsuki member for me…"

"Basically, you're not willing to fight four on one so soon after Naruto nearly beat you earlier," Sara said, her pupils narrowing to slits.

Orochimaru sighed, instead of getting angry, which Sara had been hoping for, "I wish I could have gotten to you as well, it would have been nice to have a complete set of Uchihas." Sara's pupils seemed to narrow more with rage. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some unfinished business with Sai."

"Jerk," Naruto muttered darkly. Sakura sighed in relief at not having to fight.

Sara was shaking with rage, her fists were clenched, blood dripping from her palms, where her nails were digging into her skin.

Sakura set a hand on her right shoulder, "Hey, calm down."

"I'll kill him…" Sara whispered.

"What?"

"I'll kill him!" She snapped, her temper getting the better of her. "He took Sasuke away from us, I'll…"

"Bright Eyes!" Naruto said, startled by her loss of composure. "We all want to finish off Orochimaru but first let's find Sasuke."

"Right," Sara said, looking away from him. _Orochimaru…if I have to kill Sasuke…_

Naruto saw that his friend still wasn't relaxed, "You're not an avenger, plus, you're not alone. Whatever happens, we're a team! Friends till the end!"

Sara met his gaze and nodded, "You're right. That's not who I am…thanks, Naruto." _Will that friendship survive if I have to kill Sasuke?_

Yamato asked, noticing Sai wasn't with them, "Where's Sai!"

"Oh no!" Naruto exclaimed, remembering he had told Sai to find Sasuke. "He went to look for Sasuke! We've got to find him before Orochimaru does!"

"What are we waiting for?" Sara said. "We've wasted enough time here!"

Naruto pointed the way Sai had gone, "It'll use up my chakra but my Shadow Clones can go one way with Bright Eyes, while you and Sakura go the other way, Captain Yamato."

Sakura noticed Sai's picture book on the floor and picked it up, smiling, "The centerfold…"

"Yeah, he finished it. He said that he finally remembered that his dream drawing had been of the two of them…that he had wanted to show his brother."

Sakura commented, "They're both smiling."

Naruto nodded, "When he drew that picture I saw him smile, a real smile, for the first time from his heart."

Yamato squatted down and started to rummage through Sai's pack, pulling out a black book.

Sai followed one of his mice into a room, and saw the Uchiha crest on the sleeping figure's shirt.

"Oh no!" Yamato said, flipping through the book.

Sakura asked, "Now what's wrong?"

Sai started as three black snakes slid into the room and towards Sasuke.

"I found this in Sai's pack," Yamato said.

Sara's eyes widened, "That's a bingo book, usually given only to Anbu Black Ops members."

"Bingo book?" Naruto questioned.

"Like Zabuza had," Sara elaborated. "Basically an assassination list."

Sakura asked, "So what do the X marks represent."

"The people he's already killed," Yamato stated. Sara moved to stand behind him as he started to flip through the book.

Sakura asked, "But why would Sai have something like…" She trailed off as Yamato and Sara's eyes widened. Naruto and Sakura were worried.

Yamato flipped the book around and held it up so Sakura and Naruto could see, "Look."

"N-no…" Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing.

_I wasn't the only one told to kill Sasuke…but my orders were only to kill him if necessary… Sai's orders…_ Sara thought, thinking of the difference in their orders.

"Wait…" Naruto said, trying to make sense of the situation. "Why is Sasuke on Sai' assassination list?"

"His face isn't X'ed out yet…" Yamato murmured. "So that's what this is about."

"What is? What's this about?" Naruto asked.

Sara answered, "Sai played us for fools. His real mission is to assassinate Sasuke."

The snakes crawled up the bed and onto the sheets, Sai watching them intently.

"But…but that's not possible!" Naruto shouted. "I mean, just now, he said he was going to rescue Sasuke! And I saw him smile from his heart!"

Sakura suggested hesitantly, "Unless it was all an act to draw you out."

Yamato stood up, "The owner of this bingo book could do it. Look at his." He showed them the book again; a shinobi with an X over his page was shown to them. "He's a Mist Village jônin who had taken a hard-line attitude towards the Leaf Village. So Sai seems to have been assigned to dispose of individuals who pose a threat to the Leaf Village…and Sasuke is one of those too."

Sakura remembered what Sai had said about a smile, "A smile can help one achieve one's goals." Naruto looked at her, before he glanced towards the Commander.

"Danzo's ultimate goal is to destroy Orochimaru's future host body. That's why Sai was trying to get close to Orochimaru," Yamato stated. "They weren't going to betray the Leaf Village. In fact, quite the opposite…it's precisely the kind of tactic the foundation would employ."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto demanded. "Let's go find Sai!"

Meanwhile, the snakes slithered onto Sasuke and hissed at him insistently. Without rolling over, Sasuke asked, "Who's there?"

Sai cautiously walked into the room, "My cover's been blown…but I can still take action."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke demanded. Still not moving.

Sai said, "I'm here to take you back to the Leaf Village." Sasuke remained silent. "My mission was to kill you. At first, I was going to but…" He remembered how determined Sara, Sakura, and particularly Naruto had been to get Sasuke back. "I want to help protect this bond you two share…that Naruto so desperately wants to hold on to."

"A bond?" Sasuke questioned. "That's your excuse for disturbing my rest?"

Back with the rest of Team Kakashi, Naruto had just sent a clone down one hallway and was about to head down another with Sara, when a tremor shook the cave.

Sakura said her and Yamato having not gone far, "It came from that way."

"I sense Sai's chakra," Yamato added.

In the rubble, Sai pushed himself off his knees, and glanced up at Sasuke's silhouetted figure. "Wow! I didn't expect you to shake off my just so forcibly."

Whipping around corners, Naruto in the lead, Sakura and Yamato, a little ways behind him on either side of him and Sara brought up the rear, keeping her senses alert for Orochimaru. They all slowed as light spilled in from the end of the hall.

Sakura glared as she spotted Sai, _found you…_ Without warning she charged past Naruto and grabbed Sai's neck as he turned to face her.

To say the least, he was startled by her reaction to finding him, "Sakura! What're you doing?"

"Quiet you! I'm asking the question here!" Sakura snapped, "And this time you better not lie!"

She froze as a familiar voice said, "Well, well, well…if it isn't Sakura…"

_That voice…_ Sakura slowly turned towards the voice and gaze up in shocked awe at its owner, "S-Sasuke…?"

That was all Naruto needed to hear, he took off running, tripping once, but getting back up quickly. He rushed out into the daylight and stood next to Sakura, gazing up at Sasuke. Sasuke spotted him and met his gaze, "Sasuke…"

Sara hesitated, unwilling to find out if she would have to obey Lady Tsunade's orders, but she took off like a shot when she decided that waiting wouldn't do any good. She slid to a halt next to Naruto and looked at Sasuke. Sasuke wouldn't meet her gaze though. His and Naruto's were still locked together, like they always used to be when they were merely rivals, not enemies.

**On a Whim…**

"So Naruto…and Sara…" He finally glanced at his cousin. "I assume this means Kakashi is here somewhere." His gaze drifted to Yamato as he walked out.

"Sorry, but Kakashi couldn't make it," Yamato said. "I'm here in his stead. We of Team Kakashi are here to take you back to the Leaf Village."

"Team Kakashi, huh?"

Sai pulled out his katana. Sakura exclaimed, "Sai! You're not still thinking of your mission?" He didn't answer her, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke.

"Is he my stand in?" Sasuke questioned. "He said something about wanting to protect the bond between me and Naruto but…but looks like this one is just another weakling too."

"What?" Sakura stared at Sai in shock.

Sai said, "Yes. My top secret mission was to kill Sasuke. But I'm done following orders. From now on, I want to think for myself. I feel like you can help me remember, Naruto. Bring back those old feelings I thought were lost. The things that were once really important to me." His tone hardened, "As for you, Sasuke, I really don't know that much about you…except that Naruto, Sakura, and Sara are willing to risk everything for you…to keep that special bond you all share…in the name of friendship. I still don't understand it fully, but I think YOU do, Sasuke. Don't you?"

Sasuke answered, "Yeah, I did. And that's exactly why I cut them off." Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened, while Sara remained, unfazed. "I have different bonds now. The bond of hatred between my older brother and me…" He thought of Itachi. "Personal ties cause confusion. Precious memories only make you weak."

Naruto thought of their last fight, the one where he failed to bring back Sasuke. "Why Sasuke…?" Of all the things Sasuke said, "Why on that day…? Why didn't you just kill me? That would've broken it! Or maybe you can't! Maybe you're afraid! Huh?" Sasuke didn't answer right away.

Sakura stared at Naruto sadly, "Naruto…"

"There's a simple explanation," Sasuke said casually. "It's not that I couldn't break the bond between us… I was simply doing as my brother did before me. It was just a strategy to gain power."

Naruto glared at him, "What do you mean?"

"I don't need to explain anything to you," Sasuke stated. "The only thing you need to know is that you life was only spared on a whim!"

Sara's mind was racing, _from everything he's said, I should kill him, but I need to look in his eyes and he won't look at me…! Oh shit, Naruto!_

Sasuke had teleported in front of Naruto, his hand on Naruto's right shoulder. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

_He's fast, _Yamato thought. _Almost as fast as Sara…_

Sakura blinked in surprise, _when did he…?_

Sasuke said, "That reminds me…didn't you use to say your dream was to become Hokage? Instead of wasting all your time chasing me, you should have been training. Don't you think?"

"S-Sasuke!" Sakura whispered.

"Because this time," Sasuke continued. "You could lose your life on a whim." He pulled his sword out from its sheath.

Naruto didn't flinch, "If someone can't even save a friend, then I don't think they deserve to be Hokage… Do you…Sasuke?"

His eyes narrowed and he snorted, swinging his sword, aiming for Naruto's neck.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, appalled.

Sai and Sara reacted at the same time. Sai grabbed Sasuke's wrist, while Sara pressed a kunai against Sasuke's throat.

Sasuke was unfazed by their actions. He addressed Sai, "The block you chose…was correct." This statement baffled Sai. Sasuke glanced at Sara, "I see you've gotten faster, Sara..."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's other arm, and twisted it around so Sasuke wouldn't be able to move.

"Good!" Yamato said, using his Wood Style jutsu to try and incapacitate him.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and Sara, Naruto, and Sai all received a nasty electrical shock that emitted from Sasuke's body.

Sai, Naruto, and Sara were thrown backwards, and Naruto landed with an "Ow!" while Sai was knocked out, and Sara hit a pile of rubble, causing an avalanche that covered her.

_He's emitting Chidori from his whole body…!_ Sakura thought, stunned; she remembered her promise to Naruto and Sara. She glared at Sasuke before she charged, _I will stop Sasuke…myself!_

Sasuke turned as she approached, and Yamato saw the look in his lives, _His eyes…watch out, Sakura!_ He leapt in front of Sakura, a kunai in hand, and tried to stop the sword's blade with his kunai, but the blade slid right through it, like it was butter, and Sasuke stabbed the sword into Yamato's left shoulder.

Sasuke said, grinning slightly, "The block YOU chose was incorrect."

"Captain Yamato!" Sakura shouted.

Sasuke continued, "My Kusanagi blade is nothing like Orochimaru's. Mine is **impossible** to block.

Yamato was shaking, _body tingling…can't move…. Could he be running Chidori through the blade?_ He heard the distinct chirping of Chidori. _No wonder it's so sharp…and I'm paralyzed._

Sasuke turned as a loud static noise came from the pile of rubble that had covered Sara. She forced her way out, using her Lightning Blade. She allowed its red electricity to recede. She stood panting, glaring at Sasuke, but he looked away before their gazes could lock. _Damn…I used up a lot of my chakra with that move. Phoenix…I may need to use your chakra soon._

**A Conversation With Nine Tails!**

Sasuke had turned to focus on Naruto, who was struggling to his feet; his eyes were red, and his nails were longer.

_"This is your chance…Naruto…"_ _**The fox growled from behind his sealed**_ gates. _"Show him my…our power…!"_ _**Naruto glared at the gate.**__ "What's wrong? Why are you hesitating?" __**The Fox's chakra seeped through like bubbles, taking the shape of the Nine-Tailed Fox. **__"You know you need my strength…take it…use it…"__**Excitement entered the Nine Tail's voice, **__"Who do you want me to kill?"_

_"Don't ever come out again!"__** Naruto stated, conviction in his voice.**_

_**This surprised the fox, **__"What are you so afraid of, boy?"_

_"Shut up!"_ _**Naruto snapped. **__"I'm not afraid! I don't need anything from you!" _

_**The Nine-Tailed Fox erupted into laughter, **__"This isn't the first time you've come to me for help! You're nothing without me…and you know it! Now, release the seal once and for all! Do it…and my power…shall be yours!"_

"_Get lost…!" __**Naruto said, surprise entering his voice at the end as a hand was raised, inches from the chakra fox's nose.**_

"_Who are you?" __**The fox demanded, startled by the person as much as Naruto.**__**Sasuke stood next to Naruto, his hand was the one that was in front of the fox. **__"I see…an Uchiha. You've come quite far…"_

"_What are you dong here?" __**Naruto demanded.**_

_**Sasuke said, **__"I can see it now…the source of your strength… I never imagined you had such a thing inside of you."_

"_You can actually see me…" __**The fox growled. **__"Thanks to that abominable Sharingan…a product of your accursed bloodline." __**Naruto turned to Sasuke in surprise, wondering what Nine Tails meant.**_

_**Sasuke wasn't intimidated by the fox, **__"Seems this isn't your first encounter with these eyes which means…you must be the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox…"_

"_Your ocular powers and that vile chakra you exude," __**Nine Tails stated. **__"Remind me of Madara Uchiha…"_

_**Sasuke glared at the fox before touching its nose, causing the chakra to recede. Naruto stared at the spot the chakra had been in astonishment. Sasuke said, **__"I know no such person."_

"_I can't believe you are even able to suppress my power…" __**The Nine-Tailed Fox growled from behind the sealed gate. **__"It may be my undoing but…let me…tell you…one thing…D…on't…kill…Na…ruto…" __**Naruto's stared at the sealed gate in surprise. **__"Y…ou'll…re…gret…it…"_

Naruto grunted in pain as he tried to stand. Taking advantage of Sasuke's distracted nature. He made a hand sign and forced Sasuke's blade out of his body with his Wood Style jutsu. Sasuke leapt away from Yamato in surprise, and he stared up in shock, as a wooden dome started to form. Yamato glared as Sasuke broke out of the dome, but he smiled as Sara appeared next to Sasuke, grabbing his wrist. Sasuke shouted, "Chidori Stream!" He landed on in the position he had been standing in when they had first arrived.

He glared at Sara when he saw the poof of smoke, signifying that she had been using a Shadow Clone. Their gazes locked.

Sai came back into consciousness, and sat up with a grunt of pain, while Sakura gazed at Sasuke worriedly. Naruto stood up slowly, while Yamato watched Sasuke for any sign that he was going to attack. When he didn't move, Yamato followed his gaze and noticed Sara was gazing at Sasuke, her expression unreadable.

Lightning crackled between the two Uchihas. As soon as Sasuke had locked his gaze with Sara, she knew that she would have to kill him. He had changed. He was not the Sasuke that she had known. That Sasuke was long gone. Sasuke sensed that Sara's intentions had changed…or become clear. She was no longer on the same mission as the others, and it sent a thrill through him.

Sasuke smiled, _I wouldn't mind testing my skills against you. I know that you were Head of the Anbu Black Ops… It's amazing what you hear when traveling._

"Sasuke…" Naruto said, loud enough for Sasuke to hear him.

_Our battle's another time Sara, _Sasuke thought as he looked away from his cousin to focus on Naruto.

"Don't you get it?" Naruto started to shout. "Orochimaru's going to steal your body!"

Sasuke was indifferent to this statement, "If it happens, it happens…so be it." Naruto stared at him in horror. "You're still such a child, Naruto." I don't care what happens to me or to the rest of the world, so long as I can get my revenge. Nothing else matters. To be honest…neither Orochimaru nor I are strong enough to defeat Itachi on our own. But if I can obtain the power to defeat Itachi by giving myself to Orochimaru…I would gladly give him my life many times over." Naruto and Sakura stared at him, utterly appalled and shocked. While Sara and Sai glared at him.

Yamato stood up, "Enough talk. Naruto, Sakura, Sara…out of consideration for the three of you, I haven't taken drastic measures against Sasuke, but…I see I can't hold back any longer…I'm sorry…"

"Captain Yamato…!" Sakura gasped.

Sara teleported to stand beside him, kunai in hand, "I'm with you, Commander."

"Bright Eyes?" Naruto shouted.

Sara ignored him, "Just tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it."

Sakura stared at her, tears forming in her eyes, "Sara…you…!"

"You…traitor!" Naruto shouted, tears in his eyes. "What about what we said?"

Sara glanced back at him, but she didn't say anything, turning her attention back to Sasuke as he spoke, "Hidden Leaf Village…I'm done with you… Be gone!" He made a hand sign and lifted his left arm into the air.

Orochimaru appeared beside him, grabbing his wrist, "I wouldn't use THAT jutsu…Sasuke." Team Kakashi stared up at the two shinobi in surprise.

"Let go," Sasuke ordered.

Kabuto appeared on the other side of Sasuke, "Now…what did I tell you about being more respectful toward Lord Orochimaru?"

"Why should I stop?" Sasuke demanded.

Kabuto said, "You know the Akatsuki's on the move. We want these Leaf shinobi to get rid of the Akatsuki for us, as many of them as possible…because if other Akatsuki members interfere it would prevent you from getting your precious revenge."

"That's a pitiful excuse," Sasuke stated.

Kabuto gave Sasuke an ultimatum, of sorts, "Jeopardize your quest for vengeance or increase its chance of success… Which seems the more prudent choice to you?"

Sasuke glanced at his former team below before he started to lower his arm. Orochimaru released him, "Bright boy."

They all watched as Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto disappeared like smoke on the wind.

Naruto stared sadly at the spot before he lowered his gaze and fell to his knees.

_**Now the wait for Part 4 begins! **_


	4. Part 4

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

_**Recap: Team Kakashi, with its two new members, Sai & Yamato, have just suffered a devastating blow…not being able to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to the Leaf Village. Sakura and Naruto are also suffering from the betrayal of Sara, who agreed with Yamato when he insinuated that he would have to kill Sasuke. Now that Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke are gone, what's going to happen to Team Kakashi now?**_

**Cheering Up**

Naruto stared at the ground, _again…I couldn't stop him…again…_ He closed his eyes and pressed his head against his hands which were on the ground. _I am…SO WEAK…_ Naruto began to sob, his body shaking.

Sara, Yamato and Sai watched him in silence. Sakura refused to face him as she said, "Crying won't make Sasuke come back, Naruto." Tears were streaming down her face, "We have to be strong. You and me together."

"I'll…" Sara started to say.

Sakura cut her off angrily, "_**You've**_ done plenty!" Her voice was laced with scorn and anger.

Sara stared sadly at her teammates, but no tears came. She had learned the shinobi's way far too well.

Sai glanced between the original members of Team Kakashi, before saying, "We still have half a year left." Sakura wiped her eyes while Naruto lifted his head slightly, his sobs having ceased. "F-…" Sakura's look made him change his original sentence, "Three makes for better odds than two. And I'm pretty strong, too."

Naruto wiped his eyes and said quietly, "Thanks…guys…"

"Now then…" Yamato started. "Let's head back."

As they walked Sai noticed the immediate change within the team, _the dynamics have changed, _he thought as he glanced back at Sara, who was trailing behind everyone. _Naruto and Sakura used to follow Sara's lead without question and practically ignored the commander. Now they're completely ignoring her as if she didn't exist… This is extremely perplexing… Perhaps I should try talking to her to find out why everything has changed…_ He was surprised that Sara didn't glare at him as he stood waiting for her to catch up. _Most perplexing indeed…_ Sai noted that she was staring at the ground rather than at the things around her.

"Sara…" He wanted to be sure she had noticed him.

She glanced at him, "What do you want, Sai?"

_This is very confusing…_ "I don't understand why Naruto and Sakura are acting the way they are," he cut right to the chase. She sighed, "Yes?"

Sara laughed, "Sai, I was just sighing, not trying to…you no what? Never mind!"

"You still didn't answer my question," Sai persisted.

Sara looked at him, "It's because I said that I would help Captain Yamato to kill Sasuke if necessary."

"That…doesn't make much sense," Sai said, confused.

"I suppose it doesn't," Sara agreed. "I don't know how to make it make sense either." She looked at the ground again.

"Lady Hokage ordered you to kill Sasuke, didn't she?" Sai questioned.

Sara looked at him again; her eyes dull, "Yeah. Yeah, she did."

"So why are they mad at you if it was an order?" Sai asked. Sara didn't answer as she stared at the ground in front of her. _Apparently, our conversation has ended…_

Yamato glanced back at Sai and Sara. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as Sai hurried forward a bit, _were the two of them talking civilly?_ He glanced at the Naruto and Sakura who were rigidly looking straight ahead, _they're upset with Sara, but I think they're taking it a bit too personally._

Once they arrived in the village a few days later, they reported on the mission to Lady Tsunade.

"I see," Lady Tsunade said. "And…?"

"Most…" Naruto cast an angry glance at Sara, "of us are not giving up!"

Tsunade laughed slightly, "Then let me give most of you your next mission." She caught Sara's eyes and Sara nodded ever so slightly, signaling that she understood. Tsunade flipped through the pages on her desk, "This one will do." She handed the paper to Yamato. "Sara will not be going on this mission. I need to talk to her alone."

"Right," Naruto said, turning away. "Let's go!"

Sakura bowed respectfully to Tsunade, "Yes, milady."

Once they had all left, Tsunade said, "So, he's that changed, is he?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sara answered. "He's not the same Sasuke that left this village. He would have killed any of us without a qualm. Even Sakura…"

Tsunade closed her eyes, "I'll still let them try to get him back…your orders, however, will change slightly…" She opened her eyes, "If you get the chance….kill him."

Sara took in deep breath before nodding, "Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Go find Kakashi or one of your uncles," Tsunade said, dismissing her. "I'm sure one of them can cheer you up."

"Right," Sara said, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Tsuande sighed, "I hope one of them can cheer her up!"

Sara teleported to the hospital and started to walk towards the doors when she froze, her hand resting on the handle, _what if Master Kakashi doesn't understand that Lady Tsunade ordered me to kill Sasuke if necessary. _She closed her eyes, _I don't think I can deal with anymore anger or disappointment for today… I'll see if Kai is around…_ She teleported to the Anbu Area.

The Anbu on guard duty turned when she took a step forward, and a familiar voice said, "Kai's not here."

"Great," Sara said, leaning against the gate. "Where'd you send him this time, Kenshin?"

"He's out on an S rank mission," Kenshin answered.

Sara asked, "I don't suppose you have any free time?"

"No," Kenshin answered. "I wish!"

"I'll be seeing you around then," Sara said, pushing away from the gate and disappearing again.

She teleported right into the middle of Yusuke's training session. Ducking under a well aimed kick, she leapt to the edge of the training area.

Yusuke was in the middle of the fray, sparring with his many students. He shouted, so he could be heard over the noise, "Pair off and spar with each other for a bit!"

He walked in her general direction and said, "All right, say something or move so I know where you're at."

"Hi, Yusuke," Sara greeted him.

Yusuke walked over to her and ruffled her hair, "You're a sound for sore ears."

"How did you know I was here?" She questioned.

Yusuke smiled, "None of my students can dodge as stealthily as you can."

"Next time I'll remember to stomp around," Sara teased.

Yusuke shoved her before asking, "What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to someone who's not going to be disappointed or angry with me," she answered.

Yusuke's eyes widened, "And you came to me first?"

"Well…third," she admitted.

"Kakashi and Kai?" He guessed.

"Yeah."

"At least I'm above Tiégra on the family chain," Yusuke said grinning. "So what do you need to talk about?"

"My last mission…" Sara answered. "Lady Tsunade ordered me to kill Sasuke if necessary and well…to put it mildly…Sakura and Naruto didn't like that much."

Yusuke said, "But you followed your orders, which is good, Lady Tsunade was at least pleased with you."

Sara was starting to have second thoughts about going to Yusuke. She was starting to feel worse, if anything, "They're my best friends though…"

"Maybe they're not if they'll let this mission come between you," he stated. His tone changed, "You need to get rid of some stress. Why don't you spar with my students?"

Sara stared at his students. All of them had a handicap of some sort, "I'm not sure that would be fair…"

"They can hold their own," Yusuke stated.

"If you're sure," Sara said, walking to the middle of the field.

Yusuke shouted, "My niece wants to spar with all of you, so show her what you've got!"

"Wait, what?" Sara shouted, whirling back around to face him.

One of his students, a girl with long, braided, black hair kicked her in the back, and said excitedly as she hit the ground, "I got her!"

"It's a substitution," a boy with orange hair pointed out.

Another girl, with long brown hair said, "There she is! Get her!"

"Oh crap!" Sara muttered, as she dodged a multitude of kicks and punches, cuffing them away since she was didn't want to hurt them.

Meanwhile, the other members of Team Kakashi had just finished their mission. Naruto said to no one in particular, "Man…it's so weird not having Bright Eyes here."

"She said that she'd kill Sasuke," Sakura reminded him.

"I know," Naruto said. "But maybe…maybe she has her own reasons. I mean…Sasuke nearly killed her when he left."

"Still," Sakura said.

Sai interjected, "Lady Tsunade ordered her to kill him if necessary."

"What?" Sakura and Naruto shouted.

Sai nodded, "She told me so on our way back from that mission."

"Seriously?" Naruto questioned. Sai nodded.

Sakura said, "Looks like we owe Sara an apology."

"Yeah and we need to have a word with Grandma Tsunade," Naruto grumbled. "Let's go find Bright Eyes! See ya, Commander!" Naruto took off running down the street.

"Excuse us please," Sakura said before she followed Naruto.

Sara sat down on the ground next to Yusuke, trying to catch her breath, "I'm…never helping you…with a training session ever again!"

"Took you by surprise, didn't they?" Yusuke said grinning.

Sara glared at him, not caring that he couldn't see it, "Yeah, you could say that…will they be shinobi?"

Yusuke shook his head, "No. This is the best Lady Hokage can do for those with disabilities that dream of being ninja…training them to fight but they're unable to do missions above a C rank."

"That's too bad…" She thought about that for a second, "Wait a minute! You could do S rank so why…"

He cut her off, "I was able to see for those missions."

"Still…" Sara grumbled.

"Don't worry about it," Yusuke said, smiling again. He turned a bit, "Sounds like someone's coming."

Sara turned and smiled as she said, "Hi, Asuma!"

Asuma scowled, "Just Asuma, huh?"

"Unless you prefer something else," Sara said mischievously.

"Asuma's fine," he said, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it. "You seem kind of down."

Sara really hated his perceptiveness sometimes. She glanced at Yusuke and asked, "Do you still want me to spar with your students?"

"Get out of here," Yusuke said, shooing her away in mock anger, though he was smiling.

Asuma led the way, Sara following him. He led her to the Yakiniku Q, the BBQ House. They sat at a table with their drinks, neither of them really hungry.

He asked, "What's on your mind?"

"If the Hokage orders you to do something based on your judgment even though it would anger your friends…would you do it?" Sara asked.

Asuma stared at the ceiling for several minutes. He finally said, looking at her, "If I knew deep down that it was the right thing to do, then yeah. I'd piss off my friends. What did the Hokage order you to do?"

"Kill Sasuke," Sara answered.

Asuma didn't say anything at first, "Naruto and Sakura didn't take too well to that, huh?"

"That's putting it mildly," Sara muttered darkly.

"It'll blow over," Asuma said, relaxing against the booth. "They'll get over it."

"Do you think Master Kakashi…" She couldn't finish her question.

Asuma gazed at her steadily, "Kakashi will be more worried about you then Sasuke. Sasuke chose his path. Kakashi knows what comes with decisions like that."

"Yeah, I know," Sara said, feeling better. "Thanks, Asuma."

Asuma shrugged, "It's nothing."

Back with Naruto and Sakura, Naruto ran up to Yusuke shouting, "Hey! Bright Eyes' Uncle!" Yusuke turned, his eyes glinting with an unknown intent. "Hey! Have you seen, Bright Eyes?"

"Idiot!" Sakura shouted, punching him in the back of the head.

Yusuke forced a smile onto his face, "No, I can't say I have seen her…" He turned where he had heard Sakura's voice, "You must be Sakura."

"Yes," Sakura said, unnerved by Yusuke's blind gaze. _It's like he's looking through me instead of at me!_

"I'm sure she'll show up here eventually, she usually comes to talk with me after missions," Yusuke said casually. "Would you like to spar with my students? I'm not really feeling the best and…"

"Sure we'll help!" Naruto answered, enthusiastically, missing the glint in Yusuke's eyes.

One of Yusuke's students whined, "You never spar with us Yusuke-sensei!"

"Because I keep finding great young ninja who are more spry then I," Yusuke countered.

Sakura said to Naruto as they walked into the middle of the training field, "We'll have to go easy on them since they're disabled."

"I know, I know," Naruto grunted.

They were not prepared for the ferocity and skill that Yusuke's students came at them with.

Asuma and Sara were walking past Yusuke's training field, when Sara heard a loud, "OW!" come from the field. She turned to see Naruto and Sakura having problems as they sparred with Yusuke's students.

"I guess I'd better help," Sara muttered, before she teleported into the fray, grabbed Naruto and Sakura, and teleported again, this time next to Yusuke.

"Cruel…and unusual…" Naruto panted, glaring at Yusuke.

Sakura said, "You could have warned us!"

Yusuke shrugged, "It slipped my mind."

"Yusuke!" Sara said, "You didn't have to do this to them."

"I figured I could do something for you," Yusuke said, grinning.

"Wait! You said Bright Eyes hadn't been here!" Naruto accused.

"I lied," Yusuke stated simply.

Sakura ignored Yusuke and Naruto as Naruto started yelling at Yusuke. She said to Sara, "We came to apologize…we didn't realize that Lady Tsunade had ordered you to…"

"It's fine," Sara said. "So long as we're still comrades and friends."

"Of course we are!" Naruto shouted, turning away from Yusuke.

"That's good," Sara said happily.

"Come on, Bright Eyes," Naruto said grinning. "Let's go see if we have another mission!"

"Right," Sara said, smiling at Yusuke, _"thanks!"_

"_You're welcome…you really need to come see me more often," _he said silently.

"_I know,"_ Sara answered. She waved at Asuma, who waved back before she followed Naruto and Sakura.

**Nicknames**

The next day, Sai was sitting in the Leaf Village Library, reading a book aloud: "…In order to be more quickly understood by others one must first draw them in and warm them to you. For example, when addressing others if you persist in calling them 'mister' or 'miss' it maintains a reserved air and never allows the gap to be bridged. First, try calling people by their name, without any title or try coming up with a nickname or pet name. This will make them feel special and bring them closer to you…" He paused, "Huh…"

Sakura was also in the library, scanning the shelves for books she wanted. Her hand paused over _Powerful Drugs and Their Uses_, "Here it is…" She was surprised to see Sai sitting at one of the tables, _Oh…? It's Sai. _

She asked as she approached him, "Did you come looking for art books?"

"Sakura," Sai said, surprised.

"Never pegged you for a reader," she commented.

Sai blushed, "Occasionally."

One of the book titles caught her eye, _How to Build Better Interpersonal Relationships… Sai's actually got quite a human side to him._ "Oh! I almost forget!" Sai gazed at her in confusion. "Naruto, Sara, and I are going to visit Kakashi-sensei in the hospital. Wanna come with us?"

"Kakashi…sensei…" Sai murmured.

"Well," Sakura said. "You are apart of Team Kakashi now, so you ought to at least meet him."

Sai didn't answer her, now nervous at the prospect of meeting Kakashi.

Naruto sat at the steps leading to the hospital, wearing a black T-shirt and beige pants, he wasn't wearing his headband. Sara was leaning against a dog statue, her headband was also absent, and not much was different about her attire apart from her shirt, which had the Hatake clan's symbol on it. Naruto was lost in his own thoughts of his last encounter with Sasuke, _Maybe Bright Eyes is right in thinking he's a lost cause…_ He shook his head defiantly, _no. I can't think like that!_

"Naruto! Sara!" Sakura called from down the street.

Naruto turned, "Huh?"

"Hey, Sakura!" Sara greeted her. "Hi, Sai."

"Hey! What's he doing here?" Naruto demanded.

Sakura answered, "I ran into him at the library."

"But I thought it was just gonna be the two of us," Naruto complained.

Sara muttered darkly, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Naruto ignored her comment, "Y'know, like a date!"

"If I had that much free time I'd study more ninjutsu," Sakura stated.

"Study, study, study," Naruto grumbled. "Is that ALL you like to do?"

"I believe in training my brain as well as my body. You should try it sometime. Because you really need it! You fool," Sakura said.

_Just like the book said,_ Sai thought. _Sakura refers to Naruto casually._

"Sakura! Don't say that! I do study, right Bright Eyes?" Naruto was hoping Sara would help him.

_Naruto uses a nickname to refer to Sara,_ Sai thought, trying to understand how such things worked.

Sara glanced at Naruto, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Gah!" Naruto groaned.

"Naruto…Sakura…Sara," Sai said, embarrassed. "Mind if I join?" They all gazed at him, utterly perplexed.

"Oh! I mean…" he was really embarrassed now. "I read in a book how to make others feel at ease with you. It said to be casual with their names or call them by a nickname or pet name and that will breed familiarity and quickly lead to friendship."

Naruto grinned, "Sai…I didn't know you cared."

"So that's why you were at the library," Sakura commented.

"Yes," Sai nodded, smiling as well. "So…I was trying to think of nicknames or pet names for the three of you and I couldn't really think of any so I decided to just go with referring to you casually."

_Sai doesn't seem capable of caring that much about us,_ Sakura thought, smiling.

"Don't think so hard. Just let it come naturally," Naruto said.

Sara said, "Pet names and nicknames often refer to a person's physical traits or their personality traits. Naruto calls me Bright Eyes, since he says that there's a fire burning in them."

"Well, there is!" Naruto defended himself.

Sakura said, "Or take Naruto for example. You could call him Stupid Naruto or Dimwit Naruto!"

"Sakura, you did it again," Naruto said, feeling somewhat dejected.

_I see…people's traits…_ Sai thought, trying to think of a good nickname for Sakura.

Sakura smiled, _Wow, Sai's so different from when we first met him…_

"Thanks for the tip, Homely," Sai said, addressing Sakura.

"HOMELY!" Sakura shouted, shoving Naruto out of the way trying to get at Sai. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING HOMELY?"

"That was really cheap shot, Sai," Naruto managed to say.

"Huh?" Sai said, confused. "What do you mean?"

As they walked into Kakashi's hospital room he smiled as he spotted Sara, "I was wondering if you'd forgotten about me, Young One."

Sara blushed, "How could I forget, Master Kakashi? I've just been…busy."

Sai rubbed his cheek where Sakura had slugged him, _even master and student are at ease with the other, using nicknames!_

Kakashi glanced at Sai, "I see…so you're the new team member. Sai, is it? Nice to meet you."

"Yes, sir," Sai said.

Kakashi noticed that Naruto was also rubbing a bruised cheek. "Hey, Sakura, come here a second." Sakura walked forward, confused. "Those bruises on the boy's faces…did Sara lose her temper with them or did they get into a fight? Knowing Naruto's temper that wouldn't surprise me either…"

"O-oh no, it's nothing!" Sakura said, over enthusiastically. "We all get along just fine!"

"If you say so," he murmured as Sakura laughed nervously.

Sai watched as Kakashi went back to reading his book, _so this is Kakashi Hatake, famed even among those the Foundation. I bet he's looked me up too._

Sakura glanced at Naruto and said, "Naruto…"

"Yup," Naruto nodded. "Sensei, on our last mission, we…"

"Yamato told me everything, all about Sasuke too," Kakashi said, cutting him off. He added silently to Sara, _"Even about you. Tsunade filled in the blanks after that. I'm disappointed that that kept you from visiting me."_

_"Things were complicated at the time, all right?"_ Sara stated, embarrassed.

"We're running out of time," Naruto stated. "At this rate, he'll soon be…and where I'm at now, I'm not strong enough to bring Sasuke back… He's become too strong."

"Well, in that case," Kakashi said. "You just need to get stronger than that." Naruto stared at him, confused.

"As I see it, Sasuke's rate of maturation isn't ordinary," Sakura stated. "And according to Lady Tsunade, it's possible they're augmenting his training with drugs and forbidden jutsu, courtesy of Kabuto. I realize there are no books that can help us understand…" she clutched the book in her hand tighter. "…the mindset of those who perform live human experiments…"

"Which is why the only thing we can do is super accelerate our own growth," Kakashi interjected.

"But how?" Sakura asked.

"You think I've been sleeping and doing nothing this whole time?" He asked.

Sara commented, "That and reading your books and counting ceiling and floor tiles."

Kakashi gave her a stern look, silencing her, "I've been brainstorming…and that's how the idea came to me. But this method is more suited to Naruto…or rather, it will only work with Naruto." Kakashi pulled his gaze away from his book to look at Naruto, "And if it does pan out, Naruto, you may even surpass me."

**The Special Squad**

"Surpass YOU, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Kakashi nodded, "That's right."

_Wow!_ Sara thought, unable to hide her shock. Sakura and Sai had similar expressions of shock.

"I'll be working with you one-on-one," Kakashi continued. Adding silently to himself_, sort of…_ "It'll be training like you've never done before."

"Never…? How…?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi answered, "We'll create an ultimate ninjutsu, only for YOU." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and happiness as he continued to listen to Kakashi, "This new jutsu will be even more powerful than Rasengan. But in order to attain the power that you'll need for it you'll have to train with an intensity unlike any you've known." He glanced down at his book, "It's not like some character in a novel. You can't get stronger in just a few days. And it won't be like a pre-existing jutsu, such as the Rasengan, that we can break down and work on in simpler stages."

"Massive amount of time?" Naruto snapped, "But I just told you, we're out of time! Sasuke's almost…"

Kakashi interrupted him, "That's why I figured out a way to do it in a short period."

"H-how…?" Naruto questioned, eagerly.

"Well…" Kakashi paused as his hospital room door was thrown open.

Asuma said as he walked in, "How you feeling, Kakashi?"

"MASTER ASUMA COULD YOU KNOCK FIRST?" Ino asked him angrily.

"Hiya," Choji greeted them from behind Asuma.

Shikamaru merely nodded at them, slightly embarrassed by walking in on Team Kakashi. As he followed Asuma into the room he relaxed, "Hey, if it isn't Sara, Naruto, and Sakura. You're back already…" His gaze rested on Sai, and his tone instantly changed, "You're that kid from…"

"OH!" Choji said, recognizing Sai as well. Ino was confused by her teammates' reactions, while Sara and Sakura looked at Sai and Naruto expecting some sort of explanation.

"Hi," Sai said happily, before he explained (with Naruto's assistance) why he had attacked them that first day.

"Oh, so that's what that was about," Choji said, smiling, eating his chips still while sitting a chair. Shikamaru stood next to him, watching Asuma, who was sitting on the edge of Kakashi's bed.

Sai was still smiling, "My name is Sai. And you many address me accordingly."

Ino whispered to Sakura, "Huh…he's pretty cool and cute…looks a little like Sasuke."

"Uh, maybe in looks, but inside he's quite different," Sakura whispered back. "He can't read emotions."

Shikamaru moved away from Choji and walked up to Naruto, saying in hushed tones, "Lady Tsunade told me what happened with Sasuke. Next time something comes up, I'll help too. Especially now that that bothersome Chûnin Exam is over."

"Thanks," Naruto said, smiling slightly.

Shikamaru glanced towards his teacher as Asuma said, "Why don't you all go on ahead to Yakiniku Q, the BBQ House. Team Kakashi, you're welcome to join us."

"Woohoo! Barbeque!" Choji shouted.

"Nice!" Ino said, clapping her hands together. _I get to sit next to Sai!_

"I'm buying," Asuma continued. "But in the meantime, Kakashi and I have some business to discuss."

"Hey, wait a sec! Kakashi-sensei, what about that training you were telling me about?" Naruto demanded.

"Right, hmmm…" Kakashi looked thoughtful, "Well! We'll get back to that later."

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted. "Aw, man! Just when I was getting all excited!"

"Well go enjoy the meal that Asuma has agreed to provide for all of you," Kakashi said, smiling, shooing them out of his room. Asuma glanced at Shikamaru and Sara, who hadn't moved, and Kakashi nodded slightly, "You two should go as well, enjoy yourselves!"

Sara moved towards the door, Shikamaru following her, "And here I thought you wanted to spend some quality time together!"

Kakashi sighed, _"Not right now. Asuma obviously has something he wants to talk to me about and he doesn't want nosey youngsters listening!"_

_"Whatever!"_ Sara said, walking out the door.

Kakashi said as soon as the door closed, "I'm not sure I should have gotten them out of here…"

"What? You think they're not going to the BBQ House? What else are they going to do?" Asuma asked.

"Let's not get into that," Kakashi said.

Meanwhile, at the Yakiniku Q, Sakura asked, "Hey! Where's Shikamaru and Sara?"

"Home. He's gotta go collect medicinal antlers with his Dad, or something…"

Ino said, "Huh. But he's always celebrated mission completions with us before…how odd."

"Bright Eyes isn't usually one to turn down free food," Naruto added. "Maybe she had some errands to run for Kakashi-sensei…"

"Maybe," Sakura said, unconvinced.

The meat was almost done, so Choji said, "Well, since they're not here…I get their share!"

"Hey, Choji!" Ino snapped. "We should introduce ourselves to Sai before we start eating."

"Oh…right," Choji said, not taking his eyes off the meat.

"Thanks," Sai said. _First impressions are everything, so I've got to come up with a nickname or pet name right away…_

"Er…I'm Choji Akimichi, of the Akimichi clan," Choji said, drooling, ready to eat. "Nice to meet you, uh…Sai."

Sai said, "Nice to meet you to…uh…" _Personality trait…trait…_

_Don't tell me!_ Sakura thought worriedly.

Naruto thought, _he's going to say the forbidden word!_

"Chub…" Sai started to say, but Naruto slapped a hand over his mouth.

He said angrily in hushed tones, "Hey, Sai! Don't ever say CHUBBY to CHOJI! Get it?" Sai nodded, still bewildered.

"Were you about to say something?" Choji having heard what Sai was about to say.

Sakura laughed nervously, "No, no…"

Ino was entirely oblivious to the situation that had almost occurred, "I'm Ino Yamanaka. My parents own Yamanaka Flowers. Nice to meet you!"

Sakura waited eagerly for Sai to call Ino something.

Sai smiled while he was thinking, _In the case of women, if you state their personality traits too bluntly you will anger them… Which means I should say something opposite…_ "Nice to meet you, um… you're beautiful." Ino blushed, while Naruto shuddered.

Sakura shouted, startling the people who were walking past the BBQ House, "**BEAUTIFUL! YOU CALL**_** HER**_** BEAUTIFUL?" **Sai didn't know what hit him!

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was walking with Sara. He asked, "So is what I heard true?"

"Depends on what you've heard," Sara stated.

Shikamaru sighed, "Did you really say that you would kill Sasuke? It doesn't sound like you…never mind…yeah it does."

"Lady Tsunade ordered it," she stated.

"What?"

Sara nodded, "She ordered that if I felt there was chance of bringing Sasuke back that I should kill him if possible."

"And?" Shikamaru prompted.

She sighed, "He was willing to kill Sakura…what do you think?"

Shikamaru sighed as well, "I guess I'll be my own judge if I ever see Sasuke."

"That's all any of us can be," Sara said. "Any other reason that you wanted to walk around the village?"

Shikamaru smiled, "Yeah, I just wanted to hang out with my girlfriend." Sara blushed. "But…I did promise my dad that I'd help him collect medicinal antlers. If you want, I'll walk you back to the hospital before I go help him."

"I'd like that," she said, smiling.

As Shikamaru walked Sara back to the hospital, Kakashi asked Asuma, "So what did you want to discuss?"

"Actually…" Asuma started, but he stopped as a knock sounded from the hospital room door.

Kurenai pushed the door open and said to Asuma, "There you are."

"Oh, Kurenai," Kakashi said, surprised. "What's up?"

"I heard Asuma was here," she answered.

"I see," Kakashi said. "So, where were we, Asuma?"

Asuma stood up, "Nah, it's no rush. Next time's fine. Later."

Kakashi watched them leave, _now it's really going to bother me…_ He turned his attention back to the door as Sara walked in. Kakashi sighed in relief.

"What?" Sara questioned as she walked over to his bed and sat on the edge.

Kakashi quickly said, "Nothing!"

"You know," Sara said, reading his mind. "Not all guys have sex on their minds."

Kakashi blushed under his mask, "I have ever right to suspect the worst."

Sara rolled her eyes, "If Shikamaru tried something like that, and don't you think I'd probably beat him to a pulp?"

Kakashi smiled, "Yes, I do believe you would." His tone became serious, "Why didn't you come to see me about Sasuke?"

"With how Naruto and Sakura reacted…I just…" She trailed off.

Kakashi supplied, "You thought I'd get angry as well."

"Part of me did," Sara answered.

"I already figured that Sasuke would be a lost cause…" Kakashi stated. "There is a part of me that wants to believe he'll come back to his senses…"

"Trust me, Master Kakashi…I know what you mean," she agreed.

A tapping sounded from the window, along with an angry tweet. Sara glanced at the window and sighed, "Now what does she want?"

Kakashi laughed, pulling her into a hug. He pulled his mask down quickly and kissed her cheek, "Go see what that slave driver wants, then meet me outside the house, all right?"

"Sure," Sara said, confused. "But aren't you going to train Naruto?"

Kakashi smiled, "I want you to help me out with that."

"I should have known," Sara said, rolling her eyes, before she teleported.

She appeared outside the Hokage's office door and knocked. "Enter," Tsunade said. Sara walked in and Tsunade smiled, "Good, I'm glad you're the first one to arrive."

"What?" Sara asked, confused.

Tsunade continued to smile, "I want to set up an experimental squad of one accomplished jônin and two Anbu Black Ops."

"Why?" Sara asked, still confused. "The squads work well when they're all jônin or all Anbu Black Ops."

Tsunade nodded, "True. But I'm a gambling woman, and I want to see if my idea will work."

"Do I get to hear your idea, or am I just a guinea pig?" Sara questioned.

Tsunade grinned, "You're a guinea pig." Sara frowned. "However, this is also for your benefit. You've already proven that you can lead a squad. You led many when you were Head Anbu. You've also proven that you can keep a secret on this last mission. I need both of those qualities now."

Sara sighed, "Kakashi needs to be kept in the dark too?"

"Yes," Tsunade answered. "However, I know you'll like the two Anbus I've picked as your teammates… You'll have to train at night, your first training session being tonight. I've asked a senior Anbu to oversee your first training session for my benefit. After that, you'll be on your own. Understood?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sara said, bowing slightly.

Tsunade nodded, "You're dismissed."

Sara nodded, before she walked out of the Hokage's office. She smiled as she spotted Kenshin, Ryo, and Kai leaning against the walls of the hallway. _I'll bet all my money that Kenshin and Ryo are the two Anbu Black Ops…_ She teleported to meet Kakashi.

**Chakra Nature**

Kakashi smiled as she appeared beside him, "What did she want?"

"She just wanted to make sure that I was all right," Sara answered, making sure that she was blocking Kakashi.

He frowned, but he let the subject drop "Meet me at training field nine. I'm going to get Naruto."

"Right," Sara said, teleporting again.

Kakashi sighed, _what is she hiding from me?_ He shook off his misgivings and teleported to the main village, hoping to find Naruto and one other person…

Ten minutes later Kakashi and Sara stood facing Naruto. Kakashi said, "All right, time to get to work." Naruto started laughing like an idiot.

"Something funny?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto grinned, "Well, you know…it's been a while since you've taught me, Kakashi-sensei… Don't know why, but I like this…"

Kakashi smiled, "Laugh while you still can, Naruto." He started to laugh evilly while Naruto gave him a worried look before glancing worriedly at Sara.

"Time's not passing any slower," Kakashi continued. "Like I told you at the hospital…the goal of this training is to create an ultimate ninjutsu that's uniquely yours. A jutsu that goes beyond the Rasengan." He glanced at Sara, "Demonstrate for me please, so he'll get the basic gist of what I'm trying to tell him." Sara nodded.

"In order to do that, you'll need to acquire two techniques," Kakashi continued, holding up two fingers. "That of change in chakra nature and change in chakra form."

Naruto was mystified, "Change in form…and change in nature…?"

"That's right," Kakashi said. "For example, take the Chidori." Sara began to perform the Chidori. "First I change my chakra's nature so it's like an electoral current. And then I change its form so it'll discharge…and set its range of action and power level. In that regard, the Rasengan," Sara stared at Kakashi's back incredulously before she started to perform the Rasengan. "…is different from the Chidori because it only involves a change in form. The Rasengan merely requires one to compress and rotate one's chakra at high speed, so a change in nature is not necessary."

"Change in chakra nature, huh…" Naruto said, starting to understand what Kakashi was talking about.

Kakashi continued, "To achieve jutsu more powerful than the Rasengan, you'll need to be able to execute a change in chakra nature as well."

"Got it!" Naruto said triumphantly. "Change in chakra nature!"

_He doesn't get it_, Sara thought, feeling the drain of her chakra from doing a Rasengan and a Chidori. _Master Kakashi's lucky that my stamina is better than his._

Kakashi sighed, _I don't think he really understands, but since he's more of a direct learner, I guess it's all right…_ "However, it normally takes a massive amount of time to acquire these techniques. What I was about to explain to you earlier was a method that could shorten that time considerably."

"Okay! So what is it?" Naruto demanded.

"Hold your horses," Kakashi said, slightly annoyed. "It's multiple Shadow Clones."

"Huh?" Naruto was baffled at Kakashi's last statement.

Sara was interested now, as Kakashi continued, "Like I was saying, the trick if multiple Shadow Clones."

"The trick to what?" Naruto questioned.

Kakashi said, his patience starting to wane, "To shortening the amount of training time you'll need."

Naruto frowned, "But how will multiple Shadow Clones help?"

"I should have known you'd ask," Kakashi sighed. "All right, I'll explain, but you better pay attention."

"Yes, sir!" Naruto saluted him. "But you'd better keep it simple!"

"Fine," Kakashi said. "Sara, demonstrate again." Sara sighed in response.

"As you already know," Kakashi began to explain. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu creates an actual copy of oneself…" Sara created a Shadow Clone. "…unlike the Clone Jutsu, which just creates an illusion…" Sara also created a regular clone and purposely waved an arm through it, showing it was an illusion. "In other words, you can say that it is a clone-producing ninjutsu. I know this because I too can make Shadow Clones…" Sara transformed into Kakashi, creating an identical Shadow Clone that looked like him. "Though not quite as many as you…" Sara transformed one of her clones into Naruto and then created five Shadow Clones that looked like Naruto. "However, this jutsu also imparts a special effect to its user. As someone who uses Shadow Clones often, you may have picked up on this already."

"On what?" Naruto asked.

"When you release the jutsu and you're back to just you, whatever your clones have experienced is deposited in your memory bank."

Naruto was utterly lost. He snapped, "I told you to keep it simple!"

"Okay so you haven't noticed," Kakashi commented as Sara released jutsu, creating a mess of smoke that left her coughing.

Naruto said, "I don't even know what you're talking about!"

Kakashi sighed, "All right… How about we all make Shadow Clones?"

"What?" Sara managed to shout past her coughing. "You couldn't have told me that sooner?"

"Sorry," Kakashi said, his tone indicating that he meant it. _"I know how if feels to be drained of chakra, but please, do the jutsu."_

_"Fine!"_ Sara said, silently.

In unison, all three of them shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Good," Kakashi said. "Now split up into a group of originals and a group of clones…"

The clone Kakashi said, "The clone group will go hide in those woods over there. Clone Naruto. Clone Sara. Follow me."

Once they were in the trees, Clone Kakashi said, "Now, while the originals can't see us clones here in the woods… Let's play Roshambo."

"Why?" Clone Naruto asked.

The Sara clone snapped, "Just do it!"

"Rock, paper, scissors," the clones said together. Clone Kakashi and Clone Sara had rock, while Clone Naruto had paper.

"What are our clones doing?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi smiled, "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

"Woohoo! I won!" Naruto's clone shouted happily.

Clone Kakashi said, "All right then. Let's release the jutsu and be done with it."

"Right," Clone Sara said, making a hand sign.

Clone Naruto said, making the same hand sign, "Yes, sir!"

All three clones disappeared.

"Well?" Kakashi prompted as Naruto got a glazed look, "Do you know what our clones just did?"

Naruto grinned, "We played, Roshambo, and I won!"

"Now do you understand?" Kakashi queried. "The clones' experiences get logged in our memory banks."

Naruto grinned, "Wow. I guess I just kinda randomly made Shadow Clones in the past, so I never noticed."

Sara muttered, "Kinda randomly doesn't begin to describe it…"

"Hey!" Naruto said, in mock anger, punching her arm lightly.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, "Originally, this jutsu was used for particularly tricky intelligence gathering, like traversing dangerous terrain or infiltrating enemy strongholds…"

"But how does all this relate to shortening my training period?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm still getting to that," Kakashi said, slowly losing his patience. _How Lord Jiraiya ever found the patience to teach this kid the Rasengan is completely beyond me!_

"Well, come on!" Naruto said eagerly. "Tell me!"

"Basically," Kakashi said. "If you and one Shadow Clone do the same exercise simultaneously, you'll pack up twice the experience."

"Yeah, okay," Naruto said, following Kakashi so far.

"In other words…if two of you train together you cut the total amount of training in half. Three of you would take only a third of the time. One thousand of you would get it done in one thousandth the time," Kakashi said.

"Wow…that's a lot," Naruto stated.

Kakashi continued, "Just imagine it…accomplishing in one day what would normally take two. Skills that would take twenty years to master could be learned in one week with one thousand clones."

"Wow! That's genius!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi grinned, but he scowled as Sara said, "Don't say that it'll go to his head."

He shot her a nasty look before he said, "This training to achieve change in chakra nature that we're about to start…it means we're going to use multiple Shadow Clones the whole time."

"Aye, sir!" Naruto said happily. "Now I know why you and Bright Eyes are so strong, Kakashi-sensei! This is how you've been training, huh?"

"No," Sara said, glancing at Kakashi. "We've never done this sort of training."

Naruto looked at Kakashi, "She's kidding, right?"

"Nope. I've never used this method before for either my training or Sara's," he stated.

"Why not?" Naruto demanded. "If you have the power to make multiple Shadow Clones…"

"I do," Kakashi said. "But I can't maintain them long enough. I simply don't have the kind of power you do."

Naruto looked at Sara, "But Bright Eyes, you do…don't you?"

"No. Only if Phoenix is helping me out, which I try to avoid if possible," Sara stated.

Kakashi added, "A jutsu that forces us to divide our chakra into equal portions isn't good for us. Especially me, not having a lot of chakra to begin with. Sara might be able to get away with training with three clones, but not ten or one hundred."

"Wait a sec," Naruto said. "I have more chakra than both of you?"

Kakashi said, "About four times more than my own."

"No way? Really?" Naruto was grinning, "So I'm like super amazing, huh?"

"If Yamato wasn't suppressing the Nine-tails chakra it would be one thousand times more," Kakashi said. Naruto was flabbergasted.

A voice behind them said, "And that's why this training technique also only works for you, Naruto."

Naruto turned around in surprise, "Captain Yamato!"

"Kakashi asked me to help out with your training," Yamato said. "Since I'm needed to control the Nine-Tails chakra."

"Thanks, sir!" Naruto said, happily.

"Patience," Kakashi said. "I must explain the change in chakra nature."

"Sure!" Naruto said happily.

"Sara," Kakashi looked at her. "You need to listen to this too."

"Right."

Kakashi said, "Fundamentally, there are only five types of chakra natures."

"Five types? That's it?" Naruto questioned.

Kakashi nodded, "Fire, wind, water, lightning, and earth. These five natures are also the origins of the five principal shinobi territories' names and the foundation for all ninjutsu.

"Wow…" I had no idea." Naruto said.

Kakashi added, "These are also the five Elementals that Granny Chiyo told us about. The Elementals are the living embodiment of these natures. Phoenix is the embodiment of fire, tiger is the embodiment of lightning, a dragon is the embodiment of water, a horse is the embodiment of wind, and a wolf is the embodiment of earth. Some people believe that the Elementals give shinobi their chakra natures."

Sara was surprised, to say the least, "Where did you learn about all of this?"

"I was doing some research while in the hospital," Kakashi said, smiling at her. "I couldn't read _Make Out Paradise _over and over again, it gets boring after awhile."

"All that aside," Yamato said. "Most everyone's chakra fits into one of the natures that Kakashi mentioned. For example, members of the Uchiha clan all possess a fiery nature, which is why they excel at Fire Style jutsu."

"Wind nature leads to Wind Style jutsu," Kakashi added. "And lightning nature to Lightning Style jutsu. For example, the Chidori is a type of Lightning Style jutsu."

"Which means," Naruto said, putting two and two together. "Sasuke possess more then one chakra nature."

"…And you seem to have none," Kakashi stated, as he rummaged in his pouch for something. "Not only that, we still don't even know which nature you or Sara are predisposed to."

"I'd thought that be obvious with me," Sara muttered.

Kakashi finally found what he was looking for in his pouch, "You can never be sure." He pulled several small pieces of paper out of his pouch, "So we're going to find out what chakra natures you're both predisposed to using these slips of paper." He pulled one away from the others holding it between his index finger and his middle finger

"How?" Naruto questioned. His eyes widened in surprise as the paper crinkled without Kakashi moving.

"If you have lightning nature, the paper will wrinkle," Kakashi stated. "With wind nature the paper tears. Fire nature, the paper burns. Water nature, the paper becomes wet. And earth nature, the paper crumbles." He held out the papers for Sara and Naruto to take one, "These are litmus papers that react to chakra. They're made from a unique species of tree that absorbs and grows from chakra. You can find out your true nature simply by running your chakra through the slip."

Naruto and Sara both took one of the litmus papers. While Naruto stayed close to the two senior jônin, Sara moved off a couple paces her back to them.

"All right," Naruto said as he closed his eyes and focused his chakra, turning away from the two jônin. "Hah!..Aah!" Naruto stared in surprise at the rip that had formed in his litmus paper.

Sara closed her eyes and ran her chakra through the paper. He eyes widened in shock as she gazed at her chakra nature results.

Kakashi said, "Well then, we'll get started with wind change in chakra nature training." He glanced at Sara, "What about you? What's your change in nature?"

She turned to face him, eyes wide with shock, "It's not what you think…"

**Let the Training Begin!**

She held up the crinkled paper for Kakashi to see and he couldn't help smiling, "It seems you have a lot more Hatake in you then anyone ever thought!"

"I know, it's pretty cool," Sara said grinning.

Yamato looked between the two, "Wait! You two are related?"

"Sort of," Kakashi said. "But I am her guardian."

Yamato's mouth fell open as he took in the pair, realizing for the first time just how similar they were.

Naruto laughed, "What's wrong, Commander? You couldn't figure out they were more than master and student?"

Yamato gave Naruto his creepy face, and Naruto became quiet pretty quickly.

Kakashi was still smiling, "I'll tell you what I want you to do, Sara, once I'm done explaining Naruto's training."

"I thought you just said that you wanted me to help out with Naruto's training," Sara grumbled.

"I did," Kakashi said. "But now that he's going to be pretty much on his own, there's no reason why I shouldn't have you train as well."

_Oh goody,_ Sara thought. As Kakashi started to explain some things to Naruto.

She was surprised when Phoenix said, _I'm surprised that your chakra nature is lightning._

_You are?_ Sara questioned.

_I may be an Elemental, but that doesn't mean I know everything, even with my vast number of years under my wing,_ Phoenix stated.

_Do you think that may have something to do with Tiger not killing Asuma and I right along with those shinobi back in the Land of Tigers?_ Sara wondered.

Phoenix was quiet for several seconds, _It could be. It is easier for each individual Elemental to tell if someone carries its own chakra nature rather than a different one._

_So you thought I had a fire chakra nature?_ Sara guessed

_Yes,_ Phoenix answered. _But I think that's because our chakras are so tightly bound together. Whatever jutsu those Uchihas used to seal me within you was a powerful one._

Sara focused on the conversation Kakashi was having with Naruto as Naruto shouted happily, "I KNEW IT! I KNEW I WAS UNSTOPPABLE!" She had half a mind to sweep his legs out from under him and see how unstoppable he was then. She sighed, knowing that it wouldn't do much good though.

"Whoa, Naruto!" Kakashi said, trying to rein in Naruto's enthusiasm. "We've only just figured this out."

"Kakashi-sensei's right," Yamato agreed. "First you must be trained so you can properly use and control your nature."

"Huh?" Naruto was now utterly, and completely lost.

"What?" Kakashi, Yamato, and Sara all asked at once.

Naruto said, "Just wondering…which nature does your Wood Style jutsu fall under, Captain Yamato?"

Kakashi whispered something to Yamato, who nodded and made a hand sign, _Earth Style: Rampart of Flowing Soil!_ A huge wall of earth rose up from the ground.

"What the-?" Sara shielded her eyes, startled by Yamato's jutsu.

Naruto also shielded his eyes, "Hey! What?"

Yamato made another hand sign, _Water Style: Waterfall Basin Jutsu!_

"Cool," Sara admitted, gazing at the waterfall.

Naruto agreed, "Yeah, very cool!"

Yamato leapt off of the new waterfall, "I have both Earth and Water chakra natures, Naruto."

"You have two too, Captain Yamato? Awesome!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi said, "Once you hit the jônin rank, most everyone has at least two natures. Sara and I can both use other natures other than lightning, you know."

"So…including his Wood Style…" Naruto said, thinking hard. "Captain Yamato has three?"

Kakashi sighed, "No, that's not quite it."

Yamato answered Naruto's question, "I can only use Earth and Water natures. You see, technically, there is no Wood nature."

"Then how?" Naruto asked.

"You use the two simultaneously," Kakashi stated. "If you activate Earth and Water natures together, you get a Wood nature."

Yamato nodded, "Earth with my right hand. Water with my left." He made a hand sign, and trees sprouted from the new wall of earth."

"Sweet!" Naruto said.

Yamato explained, "When one possess two chakra natures it's not that difficult to use each nature separately. But to activate both of them simultaneously…"

"This ability to activate two chakras at the same time and create an entirely new chakra nature is sometimes known as Kekkai Genkai. You know that phrase, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said.

Sara frowned, but she kept quiet. She'd ask her question once Kakashi was done talking.

"Remember our fight with Haku? He had a Kekkai Genkai called Hyoton, or Ice Style. He was able to manipulate Wind and Water changes in chakra nature simultaneously to create ice. And he could perform such a special jutsu because he was of a Kekkai Genkai bearing clan."

"Haku, too?" Naruto said, amazed.

Kakashi nodded, "That's why I couldn't copy his jutsu with my Sharingan."

"You said sometimes know as Kekkai Genkai," Sara said. "Are there exceptions?"

"Yes and no," Kakashi answered. "Yes, in being that it would be considered a recessive Kekkai Genkai, meaning that it needs two bearers of the recessive Kekkai Genkai to be passed on, however, it would not be as easy to perform the jutsu, taking more chakra."

"Simplify that please," Naruto said, glancing at Sara.

Sara sighed, "Basically, if Haku had fought another Ice Style, but it was a recessive Kekkai Genkai, the person with the recessive Kekkai Genkai would have lost the fight against Haku, who's Kekkai Genkai was a dominant trait."

"I think I get it," Naruto said.

"Then it's time to start your training," Kakashi said.

"Wait! What about Shikamaru's Shadow Possession or Choji's Art of Expansion?"

Kakashi thought, _the one time I wish he wasn't so interested in the technical details…_

"And how do medical ninjutsu and genjutsu work?" Naruto continued to ask.

Kakashi sighed, "It would take too long to explain and will only end up confusing you in the end."

"Why don't you leave the implicit and explicit aspects of change in chakra nature till the next time Kakashi?" Yamato suggested. "We should really start the exercise."

"Yup," Kakashi nodded in agreement. "All right! Let's begin. First we're going to practice making your chakra's change of nature stronger."

"Right! Stronger!" Naruto said enthused. He added, feeling kind of dumb, "How?"

Kakashi held a leaf in his hand, "You're going to hold a leaf between your palms and using just your chakra tear it completely in two."

"EASY!" Naruto shouted.

"As I told you earlier," Kakashi continued. "You're going to have Shadow Clones help."

Naruto nodded, "Okay…how many?"

"Well…at one leaf per clone," Kakashi pointed at the tree leaves above him. "This many."

Naruto grinned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Each of the clones and Naruto himself grabbed a leaf from the tree and started to train.

Kakashi turned to Sara, "Now, for your training. Since we now know that your chakra nature is Lightning, I want you to come up with an original jutsu that deals with both a change in chakra form and change in chakra nature."

"Right," Sara said nodding, moving off away from the shouting clones to focus on what type of jutsu she really needed in her arsenal.

**Smooth Training?**

"GRRRRRR!" Was the only sound that came from the slew of Naruto's throughout the training field.

Sara sighed; she knew she needed a long range jutsu in her arsenal that would be easy to use. She was unsure of how to create a jutsu that wouldn't leave her exposed in battle.

Kakashi watched as she drew out a plan after plan in the sand, only to swipe her hand through the plan. _She's really thinking hard about her jutsu. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with._ He glanced at Naruto and his clones, as they stopped growling. _He's already starting to get tears…this might go quickly after all._

He stood up and walked over to where Yamato was sitting in a circle of nine wooden beams with beast heads and torches blazing at the tops of their poles. A kanji was on his right palm that read "sit".

Kakashi asked, "Well? Are you able to control the Nine-Tails' chakra easily, Tenzo?"

"That's your real name?" Sara questioned as she appeared beside Kakashi.

Yamato sighed, "Look what you started, Kakashi."

"Sorry," Kakashi said. "I forgot for a moment."

"To answer your question, there are no problems so far. But please, both of you remember that I'm Yamato right now?"

"Right, right," Kakashi said. Sara nodded. He turned to her, "So…why did you come over here?"

"I thought you might like to see what I have in mind for my jutsu," Sara answered.

Kakashi smiled, "I'd rather be surprised."

"Suit yourself," Sara said, teleporting back to where she had been training.

Sara focused her chakra like she would for the Chidori, but as it gave off its static sound; she gritted her teeth as she tried to morph her chakra into the shape she wanted it to be. She stopped after trying for several minutes. _I'll have to take a different approach to this then I originally thought…_

She jumped, as one of the multiple Naruto's shouted, "Yes! I'm getting somewhere!"

Another Naruto complained, "Gah! I'm not getting anywhere yet!"

The first one laughed, "I'm better than you are!"

"But you're me!" the second Naruto shouted.

"Yes!" A different Naruto shouted. They all turned to look at the fiendishly grinning Naruto.

An entirely different Naruto sighed, "Gah! That one of me is pretty good." He glanced at Kakashi who was reading his book, before he walked over to him, "Hold on, Kakashi-sensei. I have a question." Kakashi glanced up at him, "Isn't there anyone else in the Leaf Village that has a Wind nature?"

"You want to ask for some tips?" Kakashi guessed.

Naruto grinned, "Can I?"

"There is one in particular," Kakashi mused. "He's probably playing Shogi right now…"

"Awesome!" Naruto said as he disappeared.

Kakashi turned his attention to Sara, _Now what is she doing?_

Sara tried to start her new jutsu again, using the basics of the Chidori, but not exactly. As it formed to the shape she wanted, she grinned and threw the shape in her hand, a boomerang.

_Creative. A weapon formed out of chakra, _His eyes widened as he watched her catch it. He couldn't help laughing.

Tenzo glanced at Kakashi, before he looked at Sara, and started laughing as well.

Sara glared at both of them, her hair frizzy and sticking up. "Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up while you can!" She turned her back on them, which only made them laugh harder since her ponytail was sticking straight out, poofed out like the rest of her hair. She blushed, _okay, let's try that a little differently before I get into the hard part of this jutsu…_

Meanwhile, Shikamaru said, moving his Shogi piece, "Checkmate."

"Argh! Lost again," Asuma grumbled.

Shikamaru smirked, "Looks like you're treating us to the dinner and party after our next assignment, Sensei."

"Oh, all right," Asuma sighed, knowing he couldn't win a game against Shikamaru.

"Asuma-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he came running over. "Hey!"

Asuma and Shikamaru looked at him in surprise. Shikamaru said, "Hey, Naruto…What are you doing here?"

"Actually," Naruto said. "I wanted to ask you something." He explained what he was doing to Asuma.

"Tricks for mastering Wind change in nature, eh?" Asuma murmured.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah."

"You're doing change in chakra nature drills?" Shikamaru asked, incredulous.

"Yup!" Naruto affirmed.

Shikamaru grinned, "You can't do it if you aren't sharp. Sure you're up to it?"

"That's why I came to ask Asuma-sensei for tips," Naruto explained.

Asuma said, "So you have Wind change in chakra nature, huh? Well, I'll be."

"So will you help me or not?" Naruto demanded.

Asuma looked thoughtful for a few seconds, "Okay. How's this? I'll tell you if you agree to pay for Team Asuma's next post mission BBQ dinner."

"Hey! Not cool!" Shikamaru said.

Naruto nodded, "If it means you'll help me? Deal."

"Good," Asuma said smiling. "Negotiations concluded." He rummaged in his pouch for something.

Back in the training field, Tenzo asked Kakashi, "So…how long do you think it will take Sara to create a new jutsu?"

Kakashi smiled, "With her mind, not long." He glanced her way, "She's already made quite a bit of progress, she's not shocking herself with her own chakra anymore…granted I'm not sure what else she's trying to do with the jutsu."

"I must say that I'm as baffled as you are," Tenzo agreed.

Sara threw the boomerang, making sure that her hand still had her chakra on it, almost like a mini Chidori. "Damn it!" She muttered, as the boomerang increased in size slightly, but obviously not to her liking. _I still don't have it…I'm getting close though!_

Naruto's eyes widened as Asuma pulled out two blades. "These are my chakra blades," Asuma explained. "They are forged from a special metal that can absorb the bearer's chakra nature. Take one." He tossed one of the blades to Naruto. "Now, try sending your chakra into the blade."

"No problem!" Naruto said. Asuma easily sent his chakra into the blade, while Naruto struggled, gritting his teeth, until he finally got his chakra into the blade.

He muttered, "My chakra looks different from Asuma-sensei's."

"In order to activate a Wind change in nature, you have to imagine splitting your chakra into two and grinding them against each other," Asuma explained. "As if you're finely sharpening the blade between the two parts."

"Sharpening the blade, huh," Naruto murmured, trying to keep up.

Asuma nodded, "That's right. Finely and sharply. That's the trick.

"Y'know," Naruto said. "I was just thinking…"

"Yes?"

"What's the point of using the Wind change in nature when we already have sharp-edged ninja tools to begin with? I mean…wouldn't it be easier and faster to just use those? Instead of running cutting chakra through cutting weapons?"

Asuma smiled, "All right. Let's you and me try throwing these chakra blades at that tree over there, okay?"

"Why?" Naruto questioned.

Asuma sighed, "Just do it. You'll see."

They both threw the chakra blades and while Naruto's got stuck in the tree, Asuma's sailed right on threw, embedding itself in a boulder.

"W-wow!" Naruto said, while Asuma merely smirked. _Not only did it go through the tree, it even pierced that massive boulder behind it!_

"I actually held back because it's dangerous," Asuma admitted. "But if I wanted it to, I could've made it pass completely through that rock, too."

Naruto's eyes widened in both shock, and a little bit of fear, "Seriously?"

Asuma nodded, "When two shinobi of equal abilities face each other with blades, the sharper blade decides the outcome. Wind change in nature is best suited for short and mid distance battles." He added as an afterthought, "You know, there aren't that many Wind types. Feel free to drop by anytime with questions. As long as you're willing to pay."

Naruto made a hand sign as he grinned, "Will do! Thanks!"

_That was a clone?_ Shikamaru thought, surprised a bit.

Asuma rubbed the back of his head, "I think Naruto forgot that we have Choji on our team."

"You're cruel," Shikamaru agreed.

The clones and Naruto all got looks of understanding as the one clone's information from Asuma was passed to all of them.

"Oh! I see now!" One Naruto said.

Another added, "All right!"

Kakashi glanced up from his reading, _it seems he was able to get some tips out of Asuma. And he's already making good use of the Shadow Clones special trait too. _He went back to his reading without glancing over to see Sara's progress.

If he had glanced over, he would have noticed that the boomerang no longer spun around as it flew through the air, enlarging itself until it was actually flapping to propel itself forward. Only when it had reached the tip of its path would it reduce in size again, and actually spin back to Sara's hand.

_I think I finally got it,_ Sara thought, sighing. _I've managed to master it, but there's another jutsu I want to practice…_ She began trying to emit Chidori from her whole body like Sasuke had done. She stopped right away, _damn it! Not enough chakra…_ She teleported to the same tree that Kakashi was leaning against.

Kakashi asked, startled, "Did you already figure out a jutsu?"

"Yep!" Sara said, grinning. "You'll have to wait until our next mission to see it though!"

Kakashi sighed, "Now I'll have to think of something else for you to do."

"Actually, Master Kakashi," Sara said. "I have something in mind that I want to practice."

He was startled, "Oh! All right."

"I'm going to try and emit Chidori from my entire body," Sara explained to him.

Kakashi sighed, "Something you'll be able to do by the end of the day, tomorrow."

"You're giving me WAY too much credit," Sara said, absentmindedly, remembering that she had to train in with two Anbu Black Ops that night.

Kakashi could sense that something was making her uneasy, so he asked, "What's on your mind?" He regretted asking as she blocked him from her mind.

"Nothing!" She answered, overly breezy.

He sighed, "If you say so." He called to Naruto, "All right, now let's log your cumulative experiences into your memory bank, release the jutsu while reflecting on the exercise."

"Yes sir!" Naruto and his clones shouted. The clones disappeared.

"Phew," Naruto and Tenzo sighed at the same time.

Naruto stared at the leaf in his hand, "I can do this. I think I'm really close." He swayed suddenly, falling forward, unconscious.

Kakashi teleported, catching him before he hit the ground, "Unfortunately, along with one's physical experiences, the mental fatigue is summed and logged as well."

Naruto slept the rest of the day, and Sara dozed on and off, trying to make up for the sleep that she'd miss that night when she went to train with her squad.

Sara sat up and glanced at Kakashi, Tenzo, and Naruto's sleeping forms. _Good none of them are awake._ She stood up and adjusted her blanket on her mat so that it looked like she was still sleeping, just in case one of the others woke up.

She started to walk away, so she could teleport away from the others, when she heard someone stir.

"What are you doing up?" Kakashi questioned, sounding like he was still half asleep.

"I can't sleep since I thought of something for emitting the Chidori from my whole body and I wanted to test it out," Sara lied.

She heard him readjust his position, as he murmured, "Don't practice all night. You have all day tomorrow, remember?"

"Don't worry. I won't be long," Sara said. Kakashi remained silent, so she assumed that he was asleep.

Heading into the trees, she teleported to the Anbu Black Ops own training field.

"What took you so long?" Someone yawned.

Sara grinned, "Nice to see you as well, Uncle Kai."

Kai muttered, "I'd be happier if I didn't have to be awake so late."

Another voice that she recognized as Ryo's muttered darkly, "You're not even going to be training!"

"Aren't you excited though?" Another voice that she identified as Kenshin's demanded.

Ryo answered, "No. I'd rather be asleep."

"All right," Sara said. "Let's cut the chitchat so we can all get some tonight…eventually."

"So what are we doing tonight?" Kenshin asked.

Sara grinned, "I thought that you and Ryo would attack me so I'd know what types of skills you guys have developed since we've been apart."

Kenshin and Ryo both grinned, "You asked for it!"

Kai had already leapt away from the combatants, before Sara even realized that Kenshin and Ryo were going to attack right away.

Sara teased as she dodged their attack, "I'll give you this, you've both gotten faster."

Kenshin grinned, "You haven't seen anything yet!"

Sara wasn't too sure that she liked the sound of that statement. She started to make hand signs, but Ryo was quicker, throwing one of his giant shuriken at her.

"Shit!" She dodged to the side, messing up on her hand signs. Something pinned her arms to her sides, "What the-?" Her eyes widened in surprise as Kenshin came at her. He was wearing ninja claws, but there was something surrounding the claws as well. She flinched as the claws met her right cheek, but the feel of cold metal was different…it was more like freezing metal!

Kenshin said, shocked, "I thought you would dodge it!"

"That's all right," Sara said, as Ryo unwound the wire from around her. "What was that technique you were doing?" She touched her cheek, which felt numb, and felt ice instead of flesh. "Scratch that… What did you do to my cheek?"

Kenshin said, "Don't worry, it'll thaw…eventually!"

"Great," Sara muttered. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Kenshin shrugged, "I just tried combining wind and water chakra and got that technique. I try not to use it too often, but I thought you'd be interested in seeing it."

"That'll come in handy," Sara muttered. Trying to heat up her cheek.

Kai said, "Why don't you kids call it a night?"

"We've barely started!" Sara shouted.

"Yeah, but I have enough to report back to Lady Tsunade," Kai answered.

"We'll train through the rest of the night," Sara asserted.

Ryo and Kai both sighed in defeat. As Sara, Kenshin, and a reluctant Ryo, went back to sparring.

**Worry**

The first rays of the sun were starting to appear above the horizon as Sara returned to the training field. Kakashi was already awake, looking worried. "Where were you?" He questioned. His eyes widened when he saw the three scratches on her cheek, "And where did you get those?"

"I went for a walk and I ran into a chain link fence, scratching my cheek," Sara lied.

Kakashi gently touched her cheek and frowned, "Your cheek is reminiscent of ice…"

"I held an ice pack to it for awhile so it wouldn't swell," she lied again, starting to feel guilty and avoiding his gaze.

Kakashi noticed that she wasn't looking at him, so he asked quietly, "Is there something I should know about?"

"No," she said right away.

He continued to frown, but just then Naruto sat up and stretched before he said enthusiastically, "I need to get back to my training!"

"So do I!" Sara said, forcing enthusiasm into her voice.

Kakashi said silently as she walked past, _"We'll talk later."_

_"There's nothing to discuss," _Sara stated silently, moving off to practice emitting Chidori from her entire body.

The day flew by in a blur for Naruto and Sara as they practiced their separate tasks, but for Kakashi, whose attention was focused on Sara for the most part, it dragged on and on.

He asked Tenzo, "Is it bad when you know that someone you care about is lying to you, yet you don't know how to approach the subject without getting into a heated argument?"

Tenzo looked thoughtful before he responded, "I should think so. But then again, with Sara's temper it might be hard NOT to get into a heated argument. Why? Is she hiding something from you?"

Kakashi nodded, "Yes, and it's bothering me. Ever since she stopped being Head of the Anbu Black Ops she's never hidden anything from me. Maybe stretched the truth a bit, or conveniently forgetting to tell me something, but she's never lied outright."

Tenzo sighed, "This is going to bother you for the rest of the day isn't it?"

"You got that right, Yamato," Kakashi muttered.

Several hours later, as Sara finally managed to emit Chidori from her body several times a triumphant, "YES!" rang throughout the clearing from Naruto.

"I did it!" He shouted. "I'm awesome! At this rate, I'll master that new jutsu in no time!"

Kakashi commented, pulling his attention away from Sara, "Actually, it's coming quickly because of this training method. Which, let's not forget, was my genius idea in the first place."

"Now don't go getting an inferiority complex on us, Master Kakashi," Sara said, meaning it as a joke.

Kakashi didn't take it that way, still stinging from the fact that she was deliberately hiding something from him. "I'm just stating the facts!"

Sara was startled by his reaction, but she remained quiet as Naruto released all his clones, still grinning like an idiot.

Naruto had missed Sara and Kakashi's exchange as he said, "Whatever! Can we just get to the next exer…" His eyes rolled back in his head and he pitched forward.

Kakashi teleported, catching Naruto on his back, "It's true though…" He conceded. "This technique is only possible because you're you, Naruto…" Glancing at Tenzo and Sara he said, "Might as well get comfortable. He'll be out for the rest of the day."

"In that case," Sara said. "I'm going to sleep." She pulled out her mat and blanket, before she lay on her side, her back to Kakashi and Tenzo as she gratefully fell asleep, trying to catch up on what she missed the previous night, and what she was going to miss that night.

Kakashi frowned, but he didn't say anything as he turned to read his book, while really keeping an eye on Sara.

That night, Sara dragged herself off her mat, glancing at Kakashi who was still asleep. She teleported right out of the training field to a different one where Kenshin and Ryo were waiting, unaware that Kakashi had been awake the whole time.

Kakashi sat up, pulling out his book, determined to find out what exactly Sara was hiding when she returned, no matter how long he had to wait.

Sara sighed in exasperation as she found Kenshin and Ryo asleep on their feet, "All right you two wake up! We've got some training to do."

"All right," Kenshin said, stretching.

Ryo muttered, still asleep, "The monkey's got my donut…"

Sara's patience was thin enough from having to deal with Kakashi, so she slugged Ryo to wake him up.

"What was that for?" Ryo demanded, rubbing his cheek.

Sara said, "We need to train…NOW!"

"Yes ma'am!" Kenshin and Ryo said at the same time.

Sara rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Ryo, I really think you're lazier than Shikamaru."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ryo said, stretching a bit.

Kenshin said, moving between Ryo and Sara before she slugged him again, "What are we working on tonight, though?"

"Our teamwork," Sara answered.

"How?" They both asked.

Sara grinned, fiendishly, "We're in the training field that's known as the Forest of Death, aren't we?" Ryo moaned in response.

The next day, the sun not even trying to rise above the horizon yet, Sara teleported back to the training area where the others were pleased with the progress she, Kenshin, and Ryo had made that night. They weren't to the point of knowing exactly how the other was going to react without looking at the other, but they were close. Her good mood faded though as she watched Kakashi get up, and walk towards her.

"We need to talk," Kakashi said, once he was within a reasonable distance, and away from Tenzo and Naruto.

Sara said, avoiding his gaze, "I told you earlier, there's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is. You're deliberately lying to me," Kakashi snapped.

She stated, "You have your secrets I have mine."

"What secrets?" Kakashi demanded. "We haven't kept any secrets from the other since…" He trailed off, his visible eye filled with pain.

Sara's tone softened, knowing what Kakashi was thinking of, "You're right. We haven't kept any MAJOR secrets from each other, but sometimes we have to. You know that."

Kakashi wasn't in an "I'll let it be" mood, "I want you to tell me what's going on that you're required to leave this training field at night."

_He's treating me like a genin!_ Sara thought angrily, losing control of her temper, "I don't have to tell you anything!"

"I'm your guardian, I need to know these things," Kakashi snapped back, losing his own temper.

_I can't believe he's playing the "I'm your guardian" card!_ Without any conscious thought, Sara took a swing at Kakashi.

Kakashi leapt backgrounds, not really thinking either, as he threw several shuriken at her. Sara teleported out of his sight, he leapt forward, hearing her move behind him, lifting up his headband as he did so. Both of them were in full battle mode, to ticked off at the other to realize just how dangerous their fight had become.

Naruto sat up groggily, wondering why his dream of a battle with the sounds of kunai blades striking was still sounding throughout the clearing. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he spotted Sara and Kakashi going at it. _It's probably nothing…probably an early morning spar._ He wiped the sleep from his eyes as Yamato asked, "Are those two sparring this early in the morning?" The sun was just peeking above the horizon.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw small cuts on both Kakashi and Sara, "That's more than sparring, and I've seen them spar before! What are they doing?"

Yamato's eyes widened as Kakashi used a Water Style Jutsu to defend against a Sara's Fire Ball Jutsu, "I have no idea, Naruto." They both continued to watch in awe at the skill and in horror that such a close pair could be fighting with such ferocity.

Kakashi swore as his Water Style, and Sara's Fire Style hit, creating a mist that he couldn't see through. He barely managed to dodge as Sara came at him, trying to punch him with a right hook.

Grabbing her arm he spun around and threw her, but as she collided with a tree, he swore again as it was revealed to be a Shadow Clone. Something grabbed his ankle and he was yanked down towards the ground.

Sara was panting as she emerged from the ground, triumphant. Her feeling of triumph soon faded as Kakashi disappeared. "Damn, Shadow Clones," she muttered under her breath. She whipped around as Kakashi tried to punch her, _he must be running low on chakra to get this close…not that I'm much better off!_ As he made to punch her again, she mirrored him. Kakashi caught her punch and she his, as they tried to overpower the other.

Kakashi felt his body trembling from his exertion, _this isn't good, I'm at my limit…_ His body refused to do any more, and he started to sink forward, but he managed to change his direction so that he was falling to the side.

As Kakashi started to fall, so did Sara, _how do I manage to do this to myself?_ She wondered, as she collapsed falling on her left side. She rolled on to her back, panting. Glancing to the side, she saw that Kakashi had done the same. She glanced at her right hand, which was touching Kakashi's left hand. _When did that happen?_

Yamato and Naruto both stood up when the two clashing shinobi fell, but they weren't sure if they should offer help or not.

A few minutes of silence spanned between Kakashi and Sara, before Kakashi asked, "Why were we fighting again?"

"I don't remember," Sara answered. She amended after a pause, "Now I remember; it was about me lying to you."

"That's right," Kakashi said, trying to figure out why he had been so angry with her over something so measly as that.

Sara sighed, "I don't like keeping secrets from you, but this time…I don't really have a choice."

"Just answer this," Kakashi said. "It's not something that is life threatening is it? I worry about you…"

She laughed, "No. It's not life threatening."

"Then I'll trust you," Kakashi said, grabbing her hand. He smiled when Sara gripped his hand back. "Shall we get up?"

"Yeah," Sara said. They both helped the other one to stand.

Kakashi sighed in relief as he didn't fall back over, _good, I didn't overuse my Sharingan._ He spotted Naruto and Tenzo looking unsure of what to do. So he decided to pretend that nothing had happened, "Naruto! Are you ready for the next exercise?"

His question achieved the desired effect, "You bet!"

**Driving Force**

Meanwhile, on the roof of the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade had assembled several platoons, after receiving a disturbing report of the Fire Temple being attacked by two of the Akatsuki's members the day before. She had just finished explaining what had transpired at the Fire Temple to the separate platoons., "That's all I have to say. Any questions?" Asuma raised his hand, which surprised Shikamaru a bit, "What is it, "Asuma?"

"Chiriku, formerly of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve should have been at that temple. What happened to him?" Asuma asked.

The monk, who had been the only one to survive the attack, due to being on patrol answered, "Lord Chiriku fought against them…and died."

This surprised Asuma, _Chiriku…the Consumate Shinobi? No way…_

Shikamaru was a bit worried about his teacher, but he remained silent as Tsunade continued, "I want you to find them and ascertain their motives. But be warned, they're quite formidable. If you cannot detain them, slay them. DO NOT allow them to leave the Land of Fire. Now go! Dismissed!" She waved her arm and the platoons scattered.

Asuma and his squad paused on a rooftop, where he could see Kurenai in her apartment complex. He said to his squad that contained Kotetsu, Izumo, and Shikamaru, "Now then. Let's start at the Fire Temple, shall we?" He said to himself, "Someone's got to do it…" Shikamaru glanced up at him, confused, wondering what was on his teacher's mind. "Let's go," Asuma said, before he led the way out of the village.

Back at the training field, Naruto complained, "Hey! Why didn't you tell me the next exercise sooner? You could have woken me!"

"Since this training method takes so much out of you, it is better if you rest first, train later," Kakashi stated. "As for the exercise, you're going to cut that waterfall," he pointed at the one Tenzo had made two days ago.

"No way! How?" Naruto asked, surprised at his new task.

Tenzo answered, "You're going to lift your palms against the water and slam wind chakra against it to cut the flow. In order to succeed, you'll need to activate a large amount of change in chakra nature, even if just for an instant."

"If you can clear this stage," Kakashi added. "You'll at least be able to use it in actual battles." He started as he felt Sara lean against him, and he smiled under his mask. Sara's eyes were half closed, showing how exhausted she was from her nightly doings and their fight.

"So then," Naruto said, determination showing in his eyes, "I'll also have gained my first change in nature, right?"

Kakashi nodded, _I never imagined how rapidly that clumsy, awkward Naruto would achieve change in chakra nature…this training method was a brilliant success._

He was surprised when Sara said silently, _"You're remembering the how he used to be. Naruto's not so awkward and clumsy anymore…"_

_"You're right," _Kakashi agreed.

Naruto said, walking towards the waterfall, "Back to training… Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto and his clones pulled off their shirts before they headed to the waterfall, where Tenzo had created a bridge with the roots of two trees.

Tenzo used the jutsu that would keep the Nine-Tails' chakra under control, sitting in the middle of the posts with the carvings of animal heads on them. While Kakashi pulled out his book and leaned against a tree to read, while Sara dozed, using his left thigh as a pillow. He absentmindedly stroked her hair while Naruto constantly shouted, "Hah!" A splashing sound followed each "hah".

After a couple hours, Naruto muttered, "Gah! This water barely budges!" He shouted, "Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi glanced up from his reading, "Maybe I need more clones?"

Kakashi sighed, "What you need is to transform a massive amount of chakra into wind to cut the waterfall. If you make clones, each one's chakra will be that much weaker. Besides, that waterfall's only wide enough to hold about ten of you."

"Oh come on!" Naruto whined. "There's gotta be some kind special trick to this!"

Kakashi was starting to lose his patience, "You don't store the wind chakra you create inside yourself long enough. Take more time. Be more thorough."

"But if I take too long, it won't be useful on the battle field," Naruto countered.

"You're still in training," Kakashi said, having lost his patience. "Don't worry about the battlefield yet. Once you get used to it, it'll flow faster." He managed to regain his composure, "Listen, change in nature skills normally take many years to hone. Even leaf-cutting usually takes at least half a year. If you consider that you cleared that in only two days, you don't need to rush. You're advancing much faster than I expected. Even Sasuke, when I taught him the Chidori, took quite a few days to achieve lighting change in nature." He didn't mention how quickly Sara had mastered the technique.

Naruto stomped his foot angrily, "But that's the point! Sasuke's the one I've got to catch up to!"

Kakashi remained silent, thinking for a few seconds, before he reluctantly got up, disturbing Sara, who groggily looked around and queried, "Wha?"

"Go back to sleep," Kakashi said, as he made his way over to Tenzo. He squatted down next to his friend and whispered in his ear.

"Very well," Tenzo said, not looking thrilled at all. He made a hand sign and the bridge Naruto was on began to shake, before it expanded, along with the waterfall. The waterfall and bridge now spanned at least a quarter of a mile.

Naruto glanced at the waterfall's increased size in awe, while Kakashi asked Tenzo, who was on his knees, gasping for breath, "That was tough even for you, eh?"

"Oh no…not at all…" Tenzo gasped, "Please it was nothing *hack, hack*…I'm fine…*hack*."

_It was tough,_ Kakashi thought, before he turned to Naruto and asked, "How's this?"

Naruto laughed, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He created enough clones to span the waterfall as he continued to train.

Kakashi walked back over to the tree where Sara was still lying. As soon as he sat down she placed her head right back on his thigh and fell asleep. He smiled, as he opened his book to start reading again.

That night, Sakura stared at the picture that had been taken of Squad Seven, back in simpler times. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered how things had been. She glanced up as a shooting star shot past just outside her window.

In the training field, Naruto commented as the star shot past, "A shooting star…cool…" He glanced at Sara as she stood up and teleported; _wonder what Bright Eyes is up to? Gah! I'll worry about it later…_ He closed his eyes and he gripped his blanket as he pictured Squad Seven back when things had been so simple and straight forward, _Sasuke…_ His eyes snapped open and he stood up, heading towards the waterfall.

Kakashi lifted his head slightly, surprised to see Naruto up so late at night, but it didn't surprise him when Naruto shouted, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The next day, while Sara slept next to Kakashi, after a hard night of training, her back pressed against him, Naruto was still trying to cut the waterfall. He shouted, "Come on!" And his clones worked with him shouting, "Hah!" The waterfall split cleanly throughout the whole line of clones. "Yeah!"

Sara started at the sound of the waterfall being cut and she sat up, before she smiled, "He got it!"

Tenzo's eyes were wide with amazement as he said, "This training method really is something. I can't believe how quickly Naruto's..."

"No," Kakashi said, interrupting Tenzo, as he stood up. "It's not just the training method." He stared up at Naruto, "His driving force is Sasuke!"

**Sweet Talker**

At the Fire Temple, Asuma and his squad stood in the remnants of the temple, coffins containing bodies spaced throughout the space.

Asuma asked, "So where is Chiriku's body?"

"Um…" The monk who had gone to the Leaf Village said, "Actually, we have not been able to locate Lord Chiriku's remains." The old man standing beside him nodded.

"Uh…Captain Asuma," Izumo said, glancing through a bingo book.

Asuma turned to him, "What is it, Izumo?"

"I hate to bring this up," Izumo said. "But…Lord Chiriku's head commands a bounty of three million dollars on the black market. Perhaps the Akatsuki…"

"Probably…" Asuma said, looking somewhere between being upset and furious.

"Collection office, huh…" Shikamaru murmured. "Which means the enemy is lugging a body around, right?"

Asuma remained silent, having regained his composure as Kotetsu asked, "Izumo…where's that collection office?"

Izumo flipped through the pages, "Which one? There are five in this vicinity alone.

Working quickly, he tied four scrolls onto the Fire Temple's messenger birds. Izumo said, as the birds flew off, "We'll take the nearest office…while the other cells check out the farther ones."

"All right, let's go then," Asuma said, starting to walk away from the Fire Temple.

The older monk said, "Please wait, Lord Asuma Sarutobi." Asuma turned around in surprise; no one had called him "Lord" in a long time. "Please allow us to pray for you…who are about to engage in battle." Asuma nodded; a small smile on his face. The Fire Temple was already on the road to recovering.

"I did it!" Naruto and his clones shouted; as they cheered about how they had cut the waterfall in two with just their chakra. "I really did it! I cut the waterfall!" He released his clones, which disappeared in puffs of smoke.

Sara was grinning right along with Naruto, "Way to go!"

"Phew!" Tenzo said, glad to get a rest in finally.

"Good job, Naruto," Kakashi said. "From here on out, we'll be inventing completely new jutsu."

Naruto went down on his knees, breathing heavily, as he started to collapse, Sara teleported from Kakashi's side. She appeared to the right of Naruto, and walked carefully towards him as he slumped to the log, hacking.

Kakashi teleported closer to Naruto, and he asked at the same time as Sara, "Are you all right?" He thought, worriedly, _he's overdone it…!_

Sara started to laugh as Naruto muttered, "I'm starving…"

_That figures!_ Sara thought, smiling, glad that nothing was seriously wrong with her friend.

Kakashi smiled as well, _ah, Naruto… You never cease to amaze…_

Standing outside the Fire Temple, Asuma said to the monks, "Thank you very much."

The old monk bowed slightly, before he said, "That waistcloth…just like Chiriku, you also are a former Guardian Shinobi Twelve, with a bounty on your head. Please be careful."

Asuma grinned, "Oh, please, don't worry about me! My head…is worth another half a million dollars more than Chiriku's. I'm not going down that easily!"

At the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Kakashi said, surprised, as he walked in, "Huh? Where's your poster girl, Ayame?"

"She decided to take a trip," Mr. Teuchi said, smiling. "These two are newbies."

"Hi, I'm Nishi!" The first one said, introducing himself. He had short, spiky hair, and wore similar clothes to Mr. Teuchi and the other newbie.

The other newbie had a buzz cut, and introduced himself, "I'm Matsu!"

Sara sighed as Naruto moaned pathetically, his chopsticks in his mouth, "Ramen…ramen ramen…c'mon c'mon c'mom…"

"Here you go!" Matsu said, placing the bowl in front of Naruto, who sprang to life, "One pork bone broth miso-flavored extra pork on top!"

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed, missing the fact that Matsu accidentally stuck the tip of his finger in the ramen. He was about to dig in, salivating everywhere, "Thank y…waah?" His happiness turned to disbelief as Mr. Teuchi whisked the bowl away from him.

Naruto had tears streaming down his face as Mr. Teuchi clomped Matsu on the head, "Fool! You stuck your finger in it!"

"Ow!" Matsu exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head.

Mr. Teuchi continued, "Don't make such foolish mistakes!"

"So sorry!" Matsu exclaimed.

Mr. Teuchi ignored him, "Nishi! Prepare a new bowl right away!"

"Yes, sir!" Nishi shouted. "Right away, sir!"

Kakashi and Sara watched Naruto to make sure that he didn't pass out from hunger on them as he moaned, "So hungry…must…hold…on…"

A few minutes later, Nishi hurried towards them, "More ramen! Coming right u-!" He slipped on the floor, throwing the bowl's contents into Matsu's face.

"Ahhh! Hot!" Matsu shouted.

Nishi exclaimed, "I slipped, Matsu! I SLIPPED!"

They both ran out to hide behind Kakashi as Mr. Teuchi shouted, waving his fist in the air, "Serves you right for not mopping the floors properly! You're both useless –useless!"

Kakashi was embarrassed as the two kitchen hands hid behind him, but he still tried to calm the ramen maker down, "Now, now, Mr. Teuchi, calm down. These things happen!" He laughed nervously, knowing that the Mr. Teuchi would probably still be angry.

"Just 'cuz they happen doesn't make it an excuse!" Mr. Teuchi practically growled.

Kakashi couldn't stop Mr. Teuchi from whacking the two newbies over the head. As their cries of pain were being shouted, Naruto whimpered, "M-my ramen…"

Several minutes later, Naruto was happily slurping up his ramen, hardly chewing before he swallowed.

Sara ate her ramen more politely, though speed was still apart of her eating style. She hadn't been aware of how famished she was until she had started eating.

Tenzo eyed the two young ninja enviously, _I can't eat such heavy foods right now…_

"Oh yeah!" Naruto slurped loudly. "That's the stuff! Lemme wolf this down," he slurped again. "Then it's back to training!"

"Naruto, there's something I want to explain to you first," Kakashi said, setting down his chopsticks. Tenzo and Naruto stared incredulously at him, trying to figure out how he had eaten without them noticing. "Plus, I have something very interesting to show you…"

Naruto stared at him, interested, "GOOD interesting or BAD interesting?"

"Let's just say there are some things I need to explain," Kakashi said, evasively.

Sara smiled as Naruto complained, "Oh, come on! No more lectures! Please?"

"No point in arguing, Naruto," Kakashi stated. "You and Sara both know that I can sweet-talk anyone."

A few minutes later, Kakashi held one of the hanging flaps aside as he, Sara, and Naruto started to head out, "Well, then…thanks for lunch, Yamato."

Tenzo was bewildered, "Huh? I thought the senior member usually covers a food bill!"

A glint appeared in Kakashi's eye as he said, "There's no rank distinction when it comes to mutual respect. Besides, you're probably my only junior that I acknowledge as an equal…" Sara opened her mouth to say something angrily, but Kakashi elbowed her in the stomach, causing her to double over. "…But…you're right I really ought to…"

Yamato was blushing, happy that Kakashi had acknowledged him as an equal, "No, no! I got it!"

Kakashi held up two fingers, victoriously, but not for two long as Sara got revenge for being elbowed in the stomach.

Naruto missed the low blow that was dealt to Kakashi as he snickered, _He really can sweet talk anyone!_

_"What was that for?"_ Kakashi demanded silently, glaring at Sara.

_"As if you don't know!" _Sara snapped. _" 'You're probably my only junior that I acknowledge as an equal…' Plus you elbowed me in the stomach!"_

_"I only said that to get Yamato to pay the bill!" _Kakashi snapped back. The tone of his thoughts softened, _"Besides, I do acknowledge that you're my equal…you're very close to surpassing me."_

Sara blushed, while Kakashi straightened up, before he put an arm around her shoulders as he led the way back to the training field.

In the training field, Naruto and Kakashi stood facing each other, while Tenzo and Sara stood a few feet away, watching the two shinobi, "So what did you want to show me?" Naruto asked.

"Hold your horses," Kakashi said. "there's a proper order to these things. First, I want to confirm…" Naruto gazed at him quizzically. "Before we started this training regimen we talked about change in chakra nature and one other important technique, remember?"

"Do I remember?" Naruto shouted, excitedly, "You bet I do! It's…it's…um…?" He blushed when he realized that he couldn't remember.

"Let's just say you forgot, shall we?" Kakashi said, sighing. Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "The other is change in chakra form. To transform the shape of one's chakra. I used the Chidori as an example, while Sara performed the actual jutsu, remember? That jutsu requires not just Sara changing her chakra nature to lightning, but she must also change her chakra's form as well so it'll discharge and she can then set its range of action and power level."

"I also remember being pretty exhausted," Sara muttered. Kakashi shot her a dark look.

Tenzo said, ignoring Kakashi and Sara for a moment, "Listen closely. By adding a change in form on top of a change in chakra nature you can raise your attack strength exponentially. Shinobi who can perform both simultaneously are uncommon."

_Must not be that uncommon, _Sara thought. _Especially considering that Master Kakashi, Sasuke, and I can do it._

Kakashi said to Naruto, "Our exercises just helped you master a change in your chakra nature to wind. And you already have a change in chakra form, jutsu."

Naruto opened his mouth to ask what when he remembered what Kakashi had told him on the first day of training, "The Rasengan…"

"That's right," Kakashi said.

Naruto grinned widely, "Does that mean I can do both now?"

"Well, basically…yes," Kakashi said, nodding.

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist into the air. "I'll be churning out new jutsu in no time, then!" When neither Kakashi, Tenzo, nor Sara joined in his enthusiasm he added, "Seems like a piece of cake!"

Kakashi said quietly, "Heh…if that really were the case, I wouldn't have had to invent the Chidori." Naruto's grin faltered. "Now this…" Kakashi said, grabbing his right wrist in preparation to do a jutsu, "…is the interesting thing I wanted to show you… Hah!" Chakra began to swirl in his right palm, and then it condensed itself into a sphere, _Rasengan!_

Tenzo and Sara smiled slightly, while Naruto's mouth fell open in surprise. "Kakashi-sensei…I didn't know you could do the Rasengan?"

"How do you think I learned the final step in performing the Rasengan?" Sara asked. "The Fat Toad never showed me how to do it."

Naruto said, "But still! Kakashi-sensei…"

"This is it though," Kakashi said, before Naruto could say anything else. Naruto stared at him in surprise. "I wasn't able to combine the Rasengan's change in form with a change in chakra nature to lightning."

Sara and Naruto both looked at him in surprise. Sara thought, _I don't think I could figure out how to apply a change in chakra nature to lightning…the Rasengan just isn't a jutsu that seems like it would work with a lightning change in chakra nature._

"Combining a change in nature with a change in form takes incredible skill," Kakashi continued. "Or rather, natural talent and intuition." He allowed the Rasengan to dissipate, "And I'm not the only one who failed at this. Even my teacher who invented this jutsu failed as well." Naruto and Sara both looked at him in surprise. "That's right. Even the Fourth Hokage couldn't master a super Rasengan. The Fourth Hokage honed the change in form to its highest degree. That's the Rasengan. Mastering any change in form is already an A-ranked level of difficulty. But I can still manage to copy it. The next step, however, is the problem. The Fourth Hokage had always intended to add his own change in nature to the Rasengan when he invented it."

"Wait…are you saying the Rasengan is an **incomplete** jutsu?" Naruto asked.

Tenzo nodded, "In a sense, yes."

"So the jutsu were aiming for," Kakashi continued. "Is an S-ranked level of difficulty…or possibly beyond. It might even be unachievable…" Naruto's eyes widened. "So there is nothing about it you can be TAUGHT from here on out, you're just going to have to discover it all yourself. Do you understand why I'm telling you all this, Naruto?" Naruto remained silent and still, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. "It's because I truly believe that you're the only shinobi that can surpass the Fourth Hokage."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and he glanced at Sara to see if she had taken offense. His eyes got even wider when he saw that she was smiling at him, _they really believe in me?_

"Well…enough talk for now," Kakashi said as he started to walk away. "Let's rest a little longer before we begin again." Tenzo followed Kakashi while Naruto and Sara stood next to each other.

"Bright Eyes…" Naruto said, trying to put his thoughts into words.

Before he could say anymore though, Sara said, "You've always wanted to be Hokage…" He glanced at her, unsure of where she was going with her words. "When you're Hokage, and known as being the strongest one out of all of them, I'll be the shinobi you can rely on to carry out missions, to look to for advice, and to be the friend that you're going to need."

Naruto's eyes were wide in amazement, "So you didn't…?"

"Take offense?" She guessed. "Why would I when he's right? I don't have the chakra resources that you do, and yes I'm skilled as a ninja, but I have no desire to be the Hokage. Being Head Anbu was enough for me…" She paused, a smile on her face as she turned to look at him, "You can count on me to support you when you're Hokage."

"Bright Eyes!" Naruto said, teary eyed, his tears threatening to spill over.

"Don't get all sappy on me!" Sara exclaimed.

Naruto wiped his eyes, "You're the best friend any ninja could ask for!"

"I forgot to mention I'll also be the one to keep you in line," Sara added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto demanded.

Sara grinned, "As if you couldn't guess!"

"Yeah, I guess I could," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, you've gotten pretty good at that!"

"At what?" Sara questioned.

Naruto grinned, "At making people forget that you have a soft side!"

"Oh yeah! Because I'm as huggable as a teddy bear," Sara said sarcastically.

Naruto muttered, "More like as unpredictable as grizzly bear."

"What was that?" Sara questioned, her temper flaring slightly.

"Nothing!" Naruto shouted. He smirked as he saw Sara smiling slightly, _she's still the same Bright Eyes, even if her temper has gotten worse, she's more sarcastic, and she's a better shinobi._ He grinned when Sara started to walk away to give him room to train. _It's good to know that we still know the other like the back of our hands!_ He made a hand sign.

Meanwhile, Tenzo said, "Man, Kakashi. You really ARE a sweet talker."

"Nah," Kakashi said, knowing that Naruto and Sara hadn't followed them. "Just a believer."

**Unkillable**

Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo, and Kotetsu were leaping through the trees on towards the collection office.

Shikamaru called out, "Hey, Master Asuma…" Asuma glanced back at him. "What kind of relationship did you have with this Chiriku person?"

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" Asuma questioned back.

Shikamaru explained, "It's been two days since your last cigarette. When a chain smoker like you lays off, something's always up."

"Sharp eyes, Shikamaru," Asuma grinned. "If the likes of you ccan read my heart, then I must still be a rank amateur."

Shikamaru leapt over a branch, "Play enough Shogi with someone, you learn to read them like a book. Besides, I haven't seen you like this since the Third Hokage died."

Asuma was silent for a minute, while Izumo and Kotetsu waited for Asuma to say something right along with Shikamaru.

"Chiriku and I were part of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve together," Asuma finally said. "We were sort of like you and Choji."

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock for a second, before he looked away, understanding for his master's grief showing in his eyes. He said after several seconds of silence, "For what it's worth. I don't think you'll stay smokeless too long."

"You don't think I'll stay smokeless for too long, eh?" Asuma laughed, "Perhaps that's been true in the past…" Shikamaru glanced at him. "And not that I'm not touched that you care…but I didn't quit because of Chiriku's death." Shikamaru, Kotetsu and Izumo stared at Asuma in surprise. "Besides," Asuma said, his tone serious. "The Akatsuki were strong enough o defeat Chiriku. Their abilities are formidable. You can never let your guard down around them…"

Back in the Leaf Village, Tenzo, Kakashi, and Sara were watching Naruto's progress as he tried to add Wind change in chakra nature to the Rasengan. Clones were spread around gasping for breath in various positions that showed that they were exhausted.

"As expected," Kakashi commented. "The clones tire easily.

Two clones stood up and began to perform the Rasengan, _now, just add wind chakra!_ "Unh!" The two clones lost control and many clones near them went flying, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto gasped for breath, _no way…it can't be done… Takes so much focus just to make the stupid Rasengan to begin with…to then have to add a change in nature…! It's like trying to look to the right and left at the same time! Impossible!_ "No, I can do this!

Sara watched Tenzo as his eyes widened in worry, _what does he sense that has him looking like that?_ She focused her attention back to Naruto, who was performing the Rasengan.

_Focus…just like when I rub my two chakras together, _Naruto though, his pupils narrowing and red chakra starting to form around him in the shape of a fox.

"Tenzo!" Kakashi shouted, worried about Naruto.

Tenzo shouted back, "I know!" He slammed his palm against the ground as the fourth tail started to emerge, and the wooden poles around Tenzo came to life, and raced towards Naruto, clamping down on the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra.

Tenzo said, "I don't know how much shifting Naruto can bear, much less how often I can suppress him…"

"But this is the only way," Kakashi stated. "Whether Naruto achieves his jutsu or not depends on you, my friend."

The poles moved away from Naruto, who lay unconscious in the middle of the field. Tenzo sighed, "Yes sir."

Sitting outside the collection office, an Akatsuki member with slicked back gray hair sniffed his cloak, "Uch! Nasty! Just five minutes in that cesspool and the stench seeps into my clothes!" A crunch behind him made him turn slightly, "Took you long enough, Kakuzu!" His eyes widened when he spotted Asuma instead of his partner.

Asuma threw several shuriken at the Akatsuki member, and was surprised at the agility with which the Akatsuki member drew his weapon to block Asuma's shuriken.

Dodging to the side, Asuma managed to get out of range of the Akatsuki's weapon, and Kotetsu and Izumo rushed with large kunai knives. As the Akatsuki member tried to move, Shikamaru said from above, scolding Izumo and Kotetsu, as he trapped the Akatsuki member with his Shadow Possession Jutsu, "Slow pokes." Izumo and Kotetsu both stabbed the Akatsuki member.

Asuma said, "One down."

The entire squad's eyes widened as the Akatsuki member exclaimed, "Yeesh, oww! Who are you people anyway?"

**Shikamaru's Analysis**

Kotetsu was shocked, "What the? We both hit vital spots!"

"Quit driving the points in will you? It hurts!" The Akatsuki member complained.

"What is this guy?" Izumo murmured, "Immortal?"

The Akatsuki member muttered, "Isn't it obvious? Now, Again… Who are you people?" None of the Leaf shinobi answered him, but the Akatsuki's eyes rested on the sash on Asuma's waist. "Oh. Terrific…looks like I'm going back to that stinky collection office."

Asuma glared, _Chiriku! _"We are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village. Our orders are to capture or kill you Akatsuki. We already know you usually operate in pairs. I was planning to take down one of you first, then capture the other…but I guess that's going to have to change…"

_So this is one of the Akatsuki, huh…what mind blowing abilities! My Shadow Stitching is not going to be enough…_ Shikamaru thought worriedly.

"You chose the wrong one to start with," the Akatsuki member stated.

Asuma questioned, "So where's your partner?"

Shikamaru tensed as he heard the cracking of knuckles behind him, and the sound of a swishing cloak.

Asuma glanced up in bewilderment at where Shikamaru had been sitting as it appeared to explode.

Shikamaru appeared in the dust, the other Akatsuki member right on his trail.

_I'm free!_ The first Akatsuki member thought triumphantly.

The other Akatsuki member came to a halt, as Asuma blocked him from going anywhere near Shikamaru, who was on the ground, lowering his left arm as he realized that Asuma was in front of him.

Asuma shouted, "Kotetsu! Izumo! Retreat!"

The two shinobi immediately leapt away from the first Akatsuki member, to stand near Asuma and Shikamaru.

The second Akatsuki member said, "The fellow in front…for once you've struck gold, Hidan."

The first Akatsuki member, Hidan snapped, "Kakuzu, stay out of this. I want them for my ritual. You can have the money afterward."

"Fine," Kakuzu said. "Just be careful, or you'll die."

"I keep tellin' ya…will you quit it already? I WISH someone would kill me already!" He moved and made a circle with a triangle at its center, with his own blood. "But it's not possible, eh?"

"I'm going in," Asuma said in low tones. "Find a way to trap Mr. Immortal with your shadow stitching, Shikamaru…if even for an instant. That's all the time I'll need to slice his head off."

"The risk is too high. It's not like you," Shikamaru stated.

Kotetsu said, "He's right. I should go with you…"

Asuma was wild-eyed, "Don't you understand? This is the best plan we've got right now! They're far stronger than even me..! Izumo, Kotetsu, you two assist Shikamaru against the other one!"

_I've never seen Asuma like this…_ Shikamaru thought worriedly.

"Since we have an idea of our enemy's strength," Izumo murmured. "We ought to retreat and formulate…"

Asuma cut him off, "You think they're going to let us just walk away?" He closed his eyes, "If we don't stand and fight now, we'll be slaughtered, they already came close to slaughtering a squadron of Anbus couple years ago, if these are the same two that killed Enaki."

_What?_ Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock, as he looked between Asuma and the two Akatsuki. _These two killed Sara's uncle and nearly took out her entire squadron?_

"Plus, if we die, the Leaf Village will be at an even greater risk," Asuma continued. "We're the 'vanguard penetrating the enemy camp'. Once in a while, you have to be able to make such a move…"

Shikamaru got over his shock, as he took in what Asuma had said.

While Asuma was talking, Hidan began to remove the large kunai knives, "Yeesh, it hurts! Jabbing me here and there, such pests you are…! The gods shall punish those who don't understand the pain of others."

"The role of climbing silver doesn't suit you, Asuma," Shikamaru stated, watching Hidan.

Asuma chuckled, "I won't be a simple sacrificial piece. Since I've got you."

Shikamaru nodded unable to argue with Asuma any further, so he made the necessary hand sign for his Shadow Stitching Jutsu.

Asuma and Hidan stood studying each other for a few seconds, before they lunged at each other, Asuma's chakra blades and Hidan's strange scythe like weapon with a clang. Hidan flipped in the air, throwing a kunai knife at Asuma, as Shikamaru used his Shadow Stitching to try and ensnare the Akatsuki member.

Asuma sliced through the kunai blade with his chakra blades, but Hidan wasn't done yet.

"Captain Asuma!" Izumo shouted in warning, as the Akatsuki member threw his strange, scythe-like weapon, clinging to the rope end of it. Asuma kept the scythe from cutting him too deeply, but it still cut his right cheek.

Shikamaru grunted in effort as he continued to try and ensnare Hidan.

Hidan retracted the top part of his scythe back to the pole it was attached to.

Asuma threw off his chakra blades, _if targeted attacks are ineffective…_ He started to perform hand signs.

Hidan stuck out his tongue, as he brought the blades of the scythe closer to his mouth.

Catching his chakra blades, as he finished his hand signs, _Fire Style: Burning Ash!_ Hot ash shot from his mouth and engulfed Hidan, but not before he had licked Asuma's blood off the scythe and stepped into the strange circle with a snort. Asuma cut off his jutsu, clenching his teeth as pain shot up his right arm.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Hidan demanded, his skin now black as the night sky with white marks identifying where his bones were. "It hurts!" Asuma stared at his right hand and arm, which was covered in burns. "Judgment has been passed."

"What's going on?" Izumo asked in horror, voicing his own fears along with Kotetsu and Shikamaru's.

"Now do you finally understand the other person's pain?" Hidan demanded of Asuma. "I have already cursed you…and the ritual shall now begin… Well then! Let's experience the ultimate pain together, shall we!"

Asuma's right side shook a bit from pain, as he gripped his right arm. "Why is Captain Asuma burned?" Izumo demanded of Hidan.

"Don't tell me," Shikamaru murmured.

Hidan pulled out a strange blade, as he laughed insanely, "All the preparations are done! Now we shall share in the ultimate pain!"

Asuma sent a ton of wind chakra into the chakra blade on his left hand, creating a blade of wind chakra, and he lunged at Hidan.

Hidan's eyes widened, as Asuma got closer, but he swung his strange-spire-like blade, and plunged the blade into his left thigh, the blade passing clean through his thigh.

Asuma was surprised at Hidan's move, but his surprise turned to excruciating pain as he grabbed his left thigh, his chakra flow disrupted by the shock from the pain in his thigh.

Hidan laughed insanely once again, "Hurts, eh? And I didn't even hit a vital spot! But THAT pain is the best….when the other person's pain at the moment of death seeps into my own body! It transcends pain, transforming into ecstasy!"

Shikamaru watched as blood seeped from Asuma's left thigh, onto the ground.

Izumo was shocked, "Captain Asuma's holding on to his left leg…something weird's happening…"

"It's the same leg that guy stabbed himself through," Kotetsu added.

Izumo ran through what had happened, from Asuma being burned to what had happened just now with his leg. "That's it…" He gasped.

Asuma propped himself up, _I see…somehow he's linked his body to mine… So that I suffer any injury that he does… Except that he's immortal…_

Hidan was still laughing insanely, "Where do you want to feel pain next? Hmm?" He leveled the spire-like blade's point with his chest, "Or would you just like to end it already? Eh?"

Izumo shouted, "Shikamaru! Don't use physical attacks like the Shadow Stitching! Just stop his movements with Suffocating Darkness! Hurry!"

"I'm already on it!" Shikamaru shouted back, his shadow racing across the ground, trying to beat Hidan's blade.

As his shadow entered the circle, Hidan's blade point broke through the skin on his chest, "DIE!" Hidan shouted, his eyes wild.

"NOOO!" Shikamaru shouted desperately, praying his jutsu would stop Hidan in time. Izumo, Kotetsu, and Kakuzu watched with baited breath.

Izumo and Kotetsu were the ones to sigh in relief. "Good job, Shikamaru," Izumo said.

Hidan snorted, "You think you can stop me?" He tried to move his arm.

"Gah!" Shikamaru grunted, fighting to keep Hidan from moving.

"Izumo," Kotetsu said. "How long has it been since we called for backup?"

Izumo answered, "Only about ten minutes. It's going to take at least another twenty for reinforcements to arrive."

"Gah!" Kotetsu shouted in disgust. "What should we do? To nullify a jutsu with continuous effect, you have to kill the caster…"

"But we can't kill in this case if we kill that Akatsuki…Captain Asuma will die too," Izumo stated.

Shikamaru stated, "There are always limitations and loopholes in every jutsu…" _We just have to calm down and analyze him…_

_Shikamaru saved me… Now I've got to think up a way to break this jutsu…_ Asuma thought, getting to his knees. He watched as a shadow hand started to creep up towards Hidan's shoulder. _Suffocating Darkness doesn't last too long…only have a little while to think…_

"If this is going to drag on," Kakuzu ssaid. "I can help…can't let a cash cow get away."

"I told you to stay out of it, didn't I? I'm fine by myself," Hidan snapped.

_His words….his personality…his speech patterns…_ Shikamaru thought. _His clothes…his weapons….the significance of his behavior….the meaning behind all of his actions….and how every move he makes relates to the next. From it all can be gleaned insight…a hypothetical frame work of the jutsu, it's probability and selection…_ He closed his eyes. _Gods…punish…cursed…ritual…_ He thought, going through Hidan's actions. _Preparations…_ All Hidan had done until this point flew through his mind, and his eyes snapped open.

Asuma smiled slightly, _Trust Shikamaru to have analyzed him already…_

"You come up with something, Shikamaru?" Izumo asked.

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah…"

"I can't believe he was able to do it, all while casting a jutsu too!" Shikamaru said in disbelief.

Asuma watched Shikamaru, _Shikamaru has brilliant, swift analytical prowess that lets him foresee up to two hundred possibilities of the next ten moves in Shogi and the instinct to pick the most advantageous one._

"All right, Captain Asuma," Shikamaru shouted. "Here it goes…"

Meanwhile, back in the Leaf Village, Sara kept glancing from Kakashi to Naruto as flashes of panic, horror, and battle-calm crept seeped into her mind every now and then. She glanced at a, still unconscious Naruto, and than at a calm Kakashi who was chatting with Tenzo. _Those are the two I'm closest to in the Hidden Leaf Village, and the only two that I've ever felt anything of their emotions before… _She closed her eyes to think, _I should go through the list of people I know anyway, to see if I've forgotten someone… Tiégra, Kai, and Yusuke I'm close to, but not that close…Sakura and Sai are just my teammates, we're not any closer than that…_ Her eyes snapped open as the one person, who rarely had any of the feelings that she kept getting flashes of came to her mind, and he was the only one who she could possibly be sensing, _Shikamaru!_

**Amidst Despair**

Kakashi glanced at Sara as he felt bewilderment come from her, he said to Tenzo, "I'll be back in a minute, I need to talk with Sara about something…"

Tenzo was baffled, _that was a random change in subject...!_

"Are you all right?" Kakashi asked, setting his hand on Sara's right shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sara said, nodding. "Just a bit tired, I think I'll go rest for a bit."

Kakashi didn't question her as she went to lie down under a tree, whatever was bothering her, she didn't want him to know about it just yet. He walked back over to Tenzo, his gaze still on Sara.

As Sara started to close her eyes, her pupils narrowed like that of a cat's, she started to relax and clear her mind so she could sleep, _I've never intentionally left my Devil's Eyes up before sleeping, but something is wrong wherever Shikamaru is at…_

Hidan gave a frustrated growl as Shikamaru slowly forced him out of the circle.

"What are you doing?" Izumo asked.

Shikamaru said, as he gritted his teeth, "I'm trying to force him outside that weird diagram he drew on the ground! That will undo his jutsu…and the curse."

"What do you mean?" Izumo questioned.

"That giant scythe of his," Shikamaru started to explain. "…It's got three blades. From the shape of it, it's purpose isn't to cast a mortal blow, but to extend the range of its wielder's attack allowing him to cause both small and great external injuries by hitting his opponent with it." Izumo stared at Shikamaru in shock. "In short..if he can inflict even a single shallow abrasion his jutsu will then cause his opponent's certain death."

"That's his curse?" Izumo demanded. "But what's the link between the initial wound and curse?"

"Blood…" Shikamaru said; sweat now pouring off of him as he continued to force Hidan out of the circle. "In order to link himself to his intended victim he has to take his opponent's blood into his own body."

Izumo recalled how Hidan had licked Asuma's blood off one of the scythe's blades, "I saw him lick the captain's blood too… So he wounds his opponent and if even the slightest drop of blood lands on his scythe he can then curse them."

_I see…_ Asuma thought, as he knelt on the ground, waiting for Shikamaru to get Hidan out of the circle.

"After he licked the blood," Shikamaru stated. "His body changed colors, so that was easy to deduce…but that's not all there's one more important step to activate the curse…"

"One more…?" Kotetsu muttered in disbelief.

"Earlier, he ignored Asuma's Fire Style Jutsu…didn't even bother to avoid it…but rushes straight to that diagram he had drawn… Then, once inside it he said 'The ritual shall now begin'. And also barked, 'All the preparations are done'…so my guess is that the curse jutsu can only be completed while he's inside that diagram," Shikamaru explained.

"You…brat…" Hidan snapped, as he neared the edge of his circle.

Shikamaru shouted, "Not my fault you talk too much."

Asuma, Izumo, and Kotetsu watched as Shikamaru forced Hidan out of the diagram by the last few inches. Kotetsu thought, _he's brilliant…_

"Enough talk then!" Hidan shouted. "I'm gonna tear you apart now and kill you later!"

Shikamaru stated, "There won't be a later!" Hidan had finally been forced out of the circle, "He's out!"

"All right!" Asuma said, pulling out two shuriken, "Now let's see if the jutsu is undone or not!" He threw the shuriken as Hidan's eyes widened in panic. The shuriken ripped across Hidan's ear and shoulder, and Asuma wasn't harmed.

_Yes!_ Shikamaru thought triumphantly as he shifted his jutsu. His shadow leapt off the ground in thick, threadlike shadows, piercing Hidan's flesh in various spots to hold him in place.

"How dare you…" Hidan spat, worry showing in his gaze.

Shikamaru gasped, "This is it, my limit. Can't hold him much longer."

"That's fine. Good work, Shikamaru," Asuma said from where he now stood in front of Hidan. He pulled out one of his chakra blades, and sent enough chakra through it to create a blade of chakra. Asuma staggered forward, the wound on his thigh paining him.

"Kakuzu!" Hidan shouted, seriously worried now. "Don't just stand there! Help me! Quick!"

As Asuma struck, Kakuzu said, "I told you to be careful…!" Hidan's head went flying as Asuma beheaded him, the head bouncing away.

Panting, Shikamaru released his jutsu with a sigh.

"We did it!" Izumo said triumphantly.

Asuma also sighed in relief as Hidan's body fell to the ground, "One down. One to go…"

"If you wanted my help, Hidan," Kakuzu said. "You should have asked earlier."

Hidan's head snapped, "You're the slow one, Kakuzu! It was on purpose, wasn't it?"

Asuma's team all stared in horror at the shouting head.

"You're the one who told me to stay out of it at the start," Kakuzu stated. "Besides…I don't think you're in any position to complain right now."

Hidan's head laughed, "All right, so I did tell you not to butt in…but not out of disrespect… Kakuzu…could you bring my body over here for me…?" Kakuzu grabbed Hidan's head. "Hey! My body, Kakuzu! I asked you to bring my body to my head!"

"It's lighter this way," Kakuzu stated.

"Ow, oww… Hey! Kakuzu! Quit pulling my hair, would you?"

Kakuzu tried to distract Hidan, "Your neck wound should hurt more."

_He's still alive,_ Asuma thought.

"Idiot!" Hidan's head snapped. "The neck pain is incredible of course, this is no ordinary injury… IT REALLY, REALLY HURTS! OWWW! YOU FOOLS HAVE NO IDEA HOW PAINFUL IT IS HAVING YOUR HEAD SLICED OFF!"

"What the…" Kotetsu muttered.

Izumo said in disbelief, "I don't know how to even begin to explain this one…"

Shikamaru said, "Yeah, but even if he's alive so long as he's not attached to his body, he can't perform any jutsu. He might be immortal, but he's completely useless."

"For sure," Izumo agreed.

Kotetsu mused, "So one left to go, huh?"

Shikamaru slumped forward with a groan, "Shikamaru…!" Izumo said, worried.

_Shikamaru's at his limit,_ Kotetsu thought, as he glanced back at the young shinobi._ And Captain Asuma's wounded… While we may have given ourselves the upper hand by disabling one of the Akatsuki…it also means we've created a chance for us to escape…_

Asuma was standing near Hidan's body, making sure Kakuzu couldn't get near it. He was taken off guard when Kakuzu appeared in front of him and said, "Not so fast…" He knocked Asuma out of the way.

"Captain Asuma!" Izumo shouted.

"Now that you've asked for my help," Kakuzu said, as he lifted Hidan's body up and placed Hidan's head on his neck. "I'm giving it whether you want it or not." A thick thread appeared from within Kakuzu's sleeve and started to sew Hidan's head to his neck.

"Oww…" Hidan grunted. "Meh…all right…"

"His head!" Izumo gasped as they watched Kakuzu reattach it.

"Finally," Hidan said, once his head was attached again.

Kakuzu warned him, "Don't move it too much yet or it'll come right off." Hidan laughed triumphantly.

"It's reattached…" Kotetsu gasped.

Izumo asked, "What in the world are we up against?"

_Gah…one after another,_ Shikamaru thought. _They're both so skilled…_

Asuma started to rise from his position on the ground, as Kakuzu said, "your battle repartee is as over-long as your ritual. You stick with the cash cow. I'll deal with the rest."

"Izumo!" Kotetsu shouted, pilling out a scroll.

Izumo made a hand sign, "I know!" A large weapon appeared in Kotetsu's hand. It resembled a spiky seashell in shape that had a handle and chain attacked to it. They charged towards Kakuzu.

"All right…" Kakuzu said, watching their every move.

Kotetsu made a hand sign as Izumo finished his hand signs, _Water Style: Syrup Trap!_ Kakuzu ran right into the jutsu and found that he was unable to move.

"Gotcha!" Kotetsu shouted, swinging his weapon. Kakuzu moved both arms in front of him, but his arms sprang forward, the same black threads that had sown up Hidan's neck, now pushing them forward. Kakuzu now had a strangle-hold on Kotetsu and Izumo.

As Hidan came near him, Asuma threw his chakra blade at him, Hidan dodging to the side and throwing his scythe.

"Asuma! Behind you!" Shikamaru shouted, as the scythe headed towards Asuma's exposed back.

Asuma ducked, and Hidan took the full hit of his own scythe, the three blades sticking out of his back. Asuma said, "How many times you think I'm gonna fall for…" He stopped in horror as pain went through him, and Hidan started to laugh insanely. Hidan had made it back into the diagram.

"Same trap, fool!" Hidan shouted.

Shikamaru staggered onto his feet, and started running towards Asuma, not caring that Kakuzu was in between him and his mentor, as Asuma coughed up blood.

"Now I can finally savor it…the pain caused by your death!" Hidan shouted.

"NO!" Shikamaru shouted.

Kakuzu said, "The end."

Hidan plunged his spire like sword into his chest, and Asuma coughed up more blood before slumping forward onto the ground. Izumo and Kotetsu stared in shock at their dead captain, while Shikamaru stared in horror, tears in his eyes.

Hidan raised his eyes towards the sky, "Oh, yes…that's it…that's the stuff…"

"ASUMA!" Shikamaru shouted, tripping over a crack in the ground. He grunted in pain as he started to get up again.

"I'm done over here, Kakuzu," Hidan said, his skin back to its original color.

Kakuzu said, "Just give me a minute." He tightened his grip on Izumo and Kotetsu's necks.

Shikamaru stood up, "You… YOU!" He rushed forward.

Kakuzu saw him coming, so he threw Izumo into him, knocking Shikamaru backwards.

Without any warning, crows were swarming over the area, limiting visibility. "What the?" Hidan shouted.

"A pitiful attempt at obfuscation," Kakuzu stated. A sword tip glinted among the black feathers, and Kakuzu had just enough time to move his head a bit, so he wouldn't get hit. He released his hold on Izumo and Kotetsu.

Choji had appeared next to Shikamaru, and helped him get out of area. Shikamaru started as he felt a hand on his back, "Shikamaru, we're here to help."

"Ino…" Shikamaru said in surprise.

Choji had gone back to get Asuma, and he knelt next to his teacher. Shikamaru shouted, "Asuma!" He rushed over to his teacher's side and lowered his head near his chest, listening for a heartbeat, _it's faint, but his heart's still beating!_ "Choji! Rush Master Asuma to the Leaf Village Hospital! Go with them Ino! Use your medical ninjutsu to buy as much time as you can! Hurry!"

"Got it!" Ino and Choji said in unison.

They all turned as Kakuzu landed several feet from them, "You can't have the cash cow."

"Gah…" Shikamaru grunted.

A different shinobi, with sunglasses appeared in front of Shikamaru and the others, "Take Asuma and run, Shikamaru! We'll keep these two busy!"

Hidan appeared next to Kakuzu, and the Leaf shinobi were surprised when the pair left after a few, brief words between the two.

Izumo stared after them in confusion, _They're retreating…temporarily? What kind of strategy is that?_

A cough from Asuma, had Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji focusing on their mentor again, worry showing in their eyes.

"Choji! Ino! Hurry up!" Shikamaru shouted.

Ino nodded, "I'll star medical ninjutsu!"

"Got it!" Choji said.

"No…" Asuma rasped. His squad gazed at him in confusion. "…I…I wouldn't make it anyway…I can feel it…" He laughed half-heartedly. "I bet you know it too…."

"Shut up!" Shikamaru said, in denial. "You keep quiet!"

Ino started her medical ninjutsu. _Four vital spots…_

"Ino…" Choji could see the despair in her eyes.

Kotetsu and another shinobi with scars across the right half of his face landed near the others, and stood silently around Asuma and his squad.

_It's too late…_ Ino thought, closing her eyes as tears started to spill over. Shikamaru stared at Ino in surprise, before he closed his own eyes, fighting against the sadness that was starting to come forward.

"I think I finally…" Asuma continued. "…understand…what the Third Hokage menat…" He smiled slightly, "I'm…always too slow at figuring things out…I've got…" A cough interrupted him, as more blood came up, "…something I want to tell you three…Ino…Choji…Shikamaru…"

"Sensei! Stop talking!" Choji begged.

"CHOJI!" Shikamaru shouted to get his friend's attention. He looked at Ino who was still performing her medical ninjutsu, "Ino, you too… Listen closely to Master Asuma's last words."

"Ino…" Asuma said.

"Yes?" Ino asked.

Asuma turned to look at her, "you may be head strong but you're also a considerate caretaker…Choji and Shikamaru…they're awkward and clumsy…you watch over them…"

"Yes, sir," Ino said, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Asuma added, "And…don't you ever lose…to Sakura…either in ninjutsu or in love…."

"No, sir!" Ino sobbed, unable to control her grief.

"Choji," Asuma continued, turning to look at Choji. "You're…a thoughtful, loyal friend…and a kind soul…in time, you'll become a stronger shinobi…than everyone else…so be more confident in yourself…"

Choji also lost control on his emotions, tears flowing down his cheeks, "Got it…"

Asuma joked, "Also…you might want to drop a few pounds…"

Choji missed the smile on his mentor's face as he wiped his eyes, "It might not be possible, but I'll sure try…"

Asuma laughed before looking at Shikamaru, "And finally…Shikamaru… you're razor-sharp…with the instincts of a great shinobi…truly worthy of becoming Hokage…though you'd probably try to avoid it…" Another cough racked his body, "…since you hate being bothered like that…all those Shogi games…and not once could I beat you… Which reminds me…remember our conversation about the kind…?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise as he recalled Asuma's words, _"Then…do you know who the king is?" Asuma said that referring to someone in the Leaf Village…_

"Let me tell you…who it is…give me your ear…" Asuma said. Shikamaru bent down and listened.

His eyes widened in surprise when Asuma told him, "Asuma…you…that's why…" Shikamaru couldn't form a sentence.

"I'm counting on you…Shikamaru…" Asuma whispered, half-closing his eyes. A slight smile came over his features, "And you best…treasure what you…have with…Sara…" Shikamaru nodded. "That reminds me…I want you to tell…her something as well…" Shikamaru bent closer to Asuma again and listened.

"I'll tell her that," Shikamaru said, with a slight smile.

Asuma's eyes were still half-closed as he mused, "I guess I don't have to hold off smoking anymore… Could you get me….one last cigarette…from my pouch…?"

Shikamaru obliged, and lit the cigarette for Asuma, and the time that they first met came flooding at him:

_Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji coughed as smoke filled the room that they were in with their new teacher._

"_Oh! Sorry, sorry!" Asuma said, not sounding the least bit sorry. "I'm Asuma Sarutobi, and I'll be leading you three, Cell Number Ten. I'm strict, so you better be prepared." Their eyes were filled with tears from the smoke. "Aww, come on, don't start crying already! I've only made the threat so far."_

_Shikamaru lost his patience, "The smoke's stinging our eyes!"_

Choji was openly sobbing now, as he remembered one of his best, first memories with Asuma:

_Choji was inhaling the BBQ pork in front of him, Asuma asked, "Choji, haven't you ever heard of holding back or modesty…?"_

"_We've passed the four hundred dollar mark," Shikamaru added._

_Asuma said, "You keep this up and you're gonna get fa…mmph!" Shikamaru had covered Asuma's mouth._

_Later, Choji commented, "That was yummy!" While Asuma was begging the restaurant owner for forgiveness in not having enough to pay for their meal…_

Ino had stopped sobbing as she remembered a more recent time with Asuma:

_Asuma lay down a bouquet of flowers on the counter at Ino's family's flower shop. Ino asked, winking, "Who's it for?"_

_Asuma rubbed the back of his neck, "Er, no one in particular…"_

"_Give my regards to Lady Kurenai!" Ino said as Asuma made his way towards the door._

"_Wah!" Asuma had whipped around in disbelief, "How'd you know?"_

Grief was truly threatening to overwhelm Shikamaru as he continued to remember his teacher:

"_All of the rules are explained in here," Asuma said, setting a Shogi rule book in front of Shikamaru. "The rest you can pick up through playing."_

"_What a bother," Shikamaru grumbled. "All right, give me ten minutes." He picked up the rule book._

_Ten minutes later, Asuma said, in disbelief, "I-I lost…"_

"_You don't have to go easy on me, Master," Shikamaru muttered._

_After Shikamaru had become a chûnin, Asuma praised him, "You and Sara were the only two promoted to chûnin after this year's Chûnin Exams. As your leader I'm am especially proud of you." He addressed the others then, "Ino and Choji…it'll be your turns next."_

_Once Ino and Choji had acquired the rank of chûnin, Asuma presented them all with a box that contained three pairs of earrings. "Good job, Choji, Ino. Now all three of you are chûnin," Asuma said. "And as such…I am no longer your leader. From here on out, each of you shall become captains of your very own, new teams. These earrings are my presents to you for achieving chûnin rank." He smiled, "Don't you ever forget that we were once Cell Number Ten!"_

The cigarette fell from Asuma's lips, his eyes three-quarters of the way closed. "MASTER!" The three young ninja shouted, devastated. Choji and Ino openly sobbed as rain began to fall from the sky. Izumo had closed his eyes, trying to ignore the grief of the young ninja in front of him. Kotetsu stood next to him, watching the three young ninja, forcing himself not to look away from them or their master. The two other shinobi that had helped them escape Hidan and Kakuzu stood watching them all silently.

After several minutes of the rain pelting them, the one with the scars on his face stepped forward and knelt near the dead master and his grieving students, "It was a shinobi-worthy end."

Shikamaru stepped away from his teammates and his dead master, stood on the edge of the rooftop they were on. He took in a shuddering breath, and a sob escaped him. Not wanting to appear weak he lit one of Asuma's cigarettes. He started to cough, though it was easy to distinguish between his sobs and his coughs, "I still…hate cigarettes. The smoke's stinging my eyes…"

Meanwhile, back in the Leaf Village, Kakashi stared up at the sky as rain fell and walked over to the tree to wake Sara. He barely touched her shoulder when she sat bolt upright, eyes wide, her pupils narrowed to slits.

"Are you all right?" Kakashi asked, warily. _I've never seen her wake up with her Devil's Eyes up…_

"No," Sara said, gazing at him, her eyes filled with grief. "Nothing's right, but it's not for me to say what's happened." She stood up and walked into the trees away from him, leaving Kakashi very confused.

Kakashi walked back to where Tenzo was and watched as Naruto, who had regained consciousness only a few minutes ago, train. All of the clones were trying their hardest to add a change in nature to the Rasengan, but they were distracted as one of the clones took on the Nine-Tails' chakra

"Hey! Careful guys! Here's another one turning Nine-Tails!" One of the clones shouted.

Another shouted, "Captain Yamato! Help!"

Three tails had emerged on the one clone, and it gave out a roar.

Kakashi shouted, worried as he entered the circle, "Tenzo, here it comes again!"

"Gah!" Tenzo slammed his hand against the ground and the poles came alive and gripped the clone in its jaws, draining away the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Naruto released all his clones, and sighed in relief. He looked up as Kakashi landed in front of him, "Are you all right?" Naruto sulked. "It's been one whole day since we started trying to add a wind change in chakra nature to the Rasengan…using about two-hundred Shadow Clones… In terms of solo training time, that's roughly forty eight hundred hours…but it's still not enough, huh?"

"Considering I'm unconscious most of that time, no!" Naruto snapped. Kakashi allowed him to sulk for several minutes. Naruto said, "This drill…the chakra control is so difficult…I can't manage more than two hundred clones. I feel like…all the time in the world isn't going to be enough. It takes so much focus just to make the Rasengan…to then add on a change in nature…it's too much."

"Since when do you whine about ninjutsu?" Kakashi demanded. "It's not like you," his tone took on a teasing note. "Are you really Naruto Uzamaki?"

"But…I think this one time, it really is impossible," Naruto muttered.

Kakashi said, "Doesn't matter. You must keep at it."

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto snapped, losing his patience. "What if someone asked you to look right and left at the same time?" Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise.

_For sure, that is impossible,_ Tenzo thought.

"I see," Kakashi finally said. "So that's what this is about… This is certainly a difficult task, however…" He made a hand sign, and created a Shadow Clone. "Here's how you can look to the right…"

His clone finished, "And left at the same time."

Kakashi allowed his clone to disappear, "Still think it's impossible?"

Naruto slowly started to grin, "That's it!" He shouted triumphantly.

_What did he figure out?_ Kakashi wondered. He glanced towards the trees where he could just make out Sara's shape, _what did she mean when she said that it wasn't her right to say what's happened?_

Sara stood amongst the trees, blocking Kakashi so he wouldn't sense her grief. Between the grief that she could sense from Shikamaru, and her own grief over Asuma's death, tears flowed silently down her cheeks. She clenched her fists suddenly and vowed silently, _I'll get my revenge on those two…Enaki and Asuma will not have died in vain!_ Her anger flowed out of her, _revenge won't bring them back though…_ She closed her eyes, trying not to picture how her uncle had looked and how Asuma had looked once they had lost their lives.

_**Did you like this part? I sure hope so! Now the wait for Part 5 begins!**_


	5. Part 5

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

_**Recap:**__**While Naruto has been training, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji have just suffered a terrible loss…the loss of their Master, Asuma Sarutobi. His killers, Hidan and Kakuzu are still alive, but there are many hearts that seek revenge for the loss of Asuma Sarutobi, along with another shinobi who died at the two Akatsuki members' hands…**_

**No Need for Words**

Tsunade lowered her head, her right hand pressed against her forehead as Shikamaru, Kotetsu, and Izumo reported on their mission. "I see," she finally said.

"Um…what about Kurenai?" Kotetsu questioned.

Tsunade lifted her head, "You all notify the relevant parties regarding funeral services. I'll tell Kurenai…"

"No…" Shikamaru said, surprising them all. "I'll tell Kurenai. I've got Captain Asuma's last words to her, so…"

In the training field, the rain having stopped, Sara stood next to Kakashi as they watched Naruto make progress with adding wind change in nature to the Rasengan.

"Yes!" Naruto and his two clones cheered. "I'm starting to get the hang of it!"

"Interesting," Kakashi mused. "So this is what you thought up."

"You really shouldn't be surprised," Sara commented.

Kakashi nodded, "I know, especially considering that it took two of him to produce the original Rasengan…one to control the chakra emission…the other to control the change in form." He sighed, "I suppose this is the natural progression of things…"

"That's right!" Naruto agreed. "All I needed to do was create a third me to control the wind change in chakra nature. Like you said, if you can't look to the left and the right at the same time, you need to create a double who can check out the other direction for you! Two heads are better than one!"

"With my clone providing the clue earlier," Kakashi said, purposely trying to get Sara to poke fun at him, he had no such luck. He frowned, _what's wrong with her? What does she know that has her in such a mood?_

He glanced at Naruto again, and smiled slightly under his mask as he saw the usual sphere of the Rasengan starting to get shuriken shaped, _this method works for Naruto, who has ample supplies of both chakra and clones…it wouldn't work for either me, Sara, or the Fourth Hokage._ "Have to admit, Naruto. You really are something else… I think I'm finally starting to like you!"

"HUH?" Naruto and his clones shouted, losing their concentration. "WAH!" They lost control of the Rasengan, flying in different directions.

Naruto snapped, pointing at Kakashi, while Sara smiled slightly, "Aw, man! Now look what you did! You made me lose control of the jutsu!"

"Okay, wait…that didn't come out right…" Kakashi said, holding his hands up to ward off Naruto's anger. "What I was trying to say is…"

"Never mind!" Naruto snapped.

Kakashi sighed, "Naruto…"

"Give it up, Master Kakashi," Sara said, leaning against him. "It's still in the team's brain…"

"What is?" Kakashi asked, confused.

Sara grinned, "The first thing you ever said to us, _"My first impression of this team…I hate you."_."

"I did not say that!" Kakashi argued. He thought about it some more before he conceded, "All right, I did say that, it's amazing that you all remember that…you all had the attention spans of gnats back then."

They all turned as Izumo arrived, saying to Tenzo, "Reporting in."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, approaching Kakashi and Sara, as Izumo talked to Tenzo.

"Kakashi!" Tenzo called to him. "We need to call off the lesson and head back to the village!"

"What?" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi was even worried by Tenzo's tone, "What is it, Yamato?"

Tenzo didn't answer right away, when he did it shocked Kakashi and Naruto to their cores, "Asuma Sarutobi…has been killed."

Kakashi's eyes were wide as he stared down at Sara, "You knew…how did you…?"

"Later," Sara said, not wanting to describe yet another aspect of her Kekkai Genkai.

In an alley in the Hidden Leaf Village, Shikamaru told Kurenai about Asuma's death. Kurenai stood dazed for a moment, before falling to her knees, sobbing, and Shikamaru knelt beside her, trying to comfort her.

Much later that night, Kakashi was sitting in the kitchen, head in his hands. Sara came down the stairs, and asked, obviously surprised to see Kakashi, "What are you doing up?"

Kakashi didn't even glance up at her, "I just lost one of my best friends…" He looked up at her suddenly, his gaze was filled with sadness, but there were no tears, "How did you know before Izumo, Kotetsu, and Shikamaru got back to the village?"

"My Devil's Eyes," Sara answered, walking down the rest of the stairs and standing on the other side of the table. "If I…if I fall asleep with them up I can see what my loved ones are doing… I did it once when you first faced Itachi, and I did it again, gambling on the fact that Shikamaru was obviously in trouble, and you weren't…"

Kakashi gazed at her for some time, before he stood up and wrapped her in his arms, "I haven't been thinking…Asuma's death must have hit you pretty hard as well…how are you handling things?"

"Better than when Enaki was killed," Sara muttered. "It still hurts knowing he's gone… I mean… I know I wasn't on his team or anything but…" she trailed off, unsure of what she wanted to say. Kakashi waited patiently, and eventually she said, "He did train me in some things that I'll never forget, and he helped me out when there were times that I didn't think I could talk to you…"

"I know," Kakashi murmured, pulling her close, as he felt her tears staining his shirt. "I know…"

The next day, every shinobi was gathered for Asuma's funeral service. Kurenai proceeded forward, a bouquet of flowers in her hands as she knelt before Asuma's gravestone and set the flowers down.

Naruto stood gravely next to Konohamaru, as the young ninja sobbed, "Uncle Asuma…"

Kakashi was finding it hard to keep his emotions in check as Kurenai stood up, _Asuma…_

Ino said in low tones to Choji, "Where's, Shikamaru?"

"When I went by his place, his mom said he'd already left," Choji answered.

Kakashi frowned, _that's odd that Shikamaru is not here…speaking of someone who's not here…where's Sara?_

Meanwhile, lying on a hill, two young shinobi dressed in black were watching the clouds in the sky above. Neither said a thing to the other, whether or not they actually had to, remained to be seen.

Shikamaru sat up suddenly, before he stood up, glancing at Sara. Without a word he helped her up and she followed him to his house where he set up a game of Shogi that they started to play immediately, Asuma's chakra blades next to Shikamaru.

They played late into the night, before Shikaku came onto the porch and caught Sara's eye. Sara nodded slightly, and glanced at Shikamaru, before she stood up, and made her way towards Shikaku.

Shikamaru said quietly, as she passed, "Thanks…"

Sara nodded, and walked up to Shikaku. Shikaku led her down the path from his home and said to her, "Kakashi was pestering me as to whether or not I knew where you were. I told him that you were with Shikamaru and he didn't take to kindly to that." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"That sounds like him," Sara muttered.

Shikaku nodded, "He worries just like anybody else would when two young ninja are not where they should be during a funeral and have the elders giving them nasty looks."

Sara decided that it would be best not to tell Shikaku what she thought of the elders. Instead, "We all mourn in different ways, and sometimes we need friends to help us understand our grief."

"Well spoken," Shikaku said. "Now I suggest you get home before Kakashi comes here demanding that you come home."

"Right," Sara said, nodding, before disappearing. Shikaku smiled, before he moved back to the porch, to watch Shikamaru, who was now working out how to use the chakra blades.

First thing Kakashi asked when Sara appeared in the kitchen, "What were you doing with Shikamaru?"

"Just watching the clouds before we went to his house and played Shogi," Sara answered.

Kakashi sighed in relief, "That's a relief."

"Pervert," Sara muttered.

Kakashi defended himself, "You can't blame me for thinking like that. I'm a guy and I know where most guys' minds tend to go."

"Good thing Shikamaru is not like most guys then," Sara stated.

Kakashi nodded, "Did you help him at all?"

"You just wanted to get me riled didn't you?" Sara wondered, before she continued, "Yeah, though we didn't talk." With that said, she headed upstairs.

Kakashi sighed, _the youth these days are very perplexing… At least she's not obsessed with Shikamaru and love like other young kunoichi…_

**Cell Number Ten Sets Out!**

The next day, Shikamaru stood with Ino and Choji near the Leaf Village's gates.

Ino said, "Let's go."

Choji looked at Shikamaru for confirmation, "Ready, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah…" Shikamaru said, leading the way out of the village.

They had only made it a few feet out of the gates before someone shouted, "Hold it!" Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji all glanced back in surprise.

Tsunade demanded, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Lady Fifth…" Ino said nervously.

"Your mission directive still stands," Shikamaru stated. "There are still eighteen squads out there on the move. We've just assembled a new team and are heading out to complete the mission."

"Not without my approval you're not," Tsunade said. "I will decide when it's time to send a proper squad." The three young ninja stared at her in defiance. "Shikamaru…you will join a troop of my choosing that will leave only after devising a solid plan of attack."

"Just send them as reinforcements," Shikamaru argued. "Ino, Choji, and I have already worked out our own strategies."

"Enough!" Tsunade snapped. They stared at her in surprise. "Asuma's dead. It's just the three of you now…the basic unit is a four-man cell! Without a squad leader…"

"Asuma is still with us," Shikamaru stated quietly.

Tsunade's gaze hardened, "Do you plan on this to be some avenging battle? It's not like you…do you really want to die in vain?"

"We're not stupid," Shikamaru said. "We have no intention of running right to our deaths…it's just…"

"Just what?" Tsunade demanded.

"We don't intend to run away and keep on living without fulfilling our duty…" Choji and Ino nodded solemnly. "We aren't going to live without meaning!"

"Grow up…" Tsunade snapped. "The shadow of death hangs over all shinobi…" She lowered her gaze as she remembered her own loved ones that were now gone, "Some deaths may be harder to accept than others. But unless one get's past that, there can be no future…"

Shikamaru didn't answer right away, but he finally said, "Sometimes…I still feel like Asuma is close by…like he's watching over us. I really feel it…" This surprised Tsunade a bit. "I will not rest until this battle is resolved!"

Tsunade was furious, "Perhaps you did not hear me. So long as there are only three of you…"

"So as long as there are four, then you'll allow us to go?" Shikamaru said, suddenly smiling.

"Yes," Tsunade said, following Shikamaru's gaze.

"I'll go then, Lady Tsunade," Sara said, smiling.

Shikamaru was still smiling, "So we can go now, right?"

"No," Tsunade stated. "Sara is not qualified to lead this mission."

"What?" Sara demanded.

Tsunade held Sara's furious gaze, "You have lost two people to these two Akatsuki members, this is a revenge mission for you as much, if not more than these three!" Sara gritted her teeth, but she didn't argue. "Plus, the elders would never allow it."

"The elders can sh…" Sara became silent as Tsunade's gaze became more furious.

Ino glared at Sara, _who does she think she is?_

_That's right…_ Shikamaru thought. _I forgot for a second there that Sara lost her uncle to those two Akatsuki members…_

Sara tried to reason with Tsunade, "They need four members to go, wouldn't it suffice if I went along? I'm not saying that I would lead…"

"No," Tsunade stated, cutting her off. "As the highest ranking member of the squad, you'd be in charge of their safety. I can't let you all go if unless there's a level headed jônin with you."

"So…if a senior jônin with more experience goes, then it's all right. Eh, Lady Hokage?" Kakashi said as he leaned casually against the gates.

"Kakashi?" Tsunade said, surprised and slightly annoyed.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Choji said in surprise.

As Kakashi approached Tsunade, Sara asked him silently, _"How'd you know that I'd be here?"_

"_Your mind is like an open book at the moment," _Kakashi answered. He said to Tsunade, "I'll take over as Cell Number Ten's leader and go with them. Fair enough?" He raised his bandaged right hand to his mouth and whispered, "They're going to go, even if you try to stop them. Might as well send me along so I can keep an eye on them and stop them from doing anything stupid."

Tsunade practically hissed, "Fine, but Sara does not need to go with you."

Kakashi smiled, "You know as well as I do that she will not let her temper get the better of her on this mission, or any other for that matter. She has just as much right to come along as the rest of them. Besides…" He lowered his right hand and gazed continued to smile at Tsunade, "I need a right hand-ninja to help me out."

"No you don't," Tsunade muttered bad temperedly. She closed her eyes for several seconds before she finally conceded, "Oh, all right, as you wish! You can all go!"

"My thanks," Kakashi said.

Choji exclaimed, "Yes!"

Shikamaru asked, "Master Kakashi…what about Naruto?"

"What happened to your hand?" Ino asked, noting the bandages.

"Oh nothing," Kakashi said, shooting a warning glance at Sara. "Naruto doesn't need me around anymore. Plus, he's got another squad leader with him now, so…"

Shikamaru snorted, _that Naruto…_

Ino glared at Sara, "She's not coming with, is she?"

Tsunade nodded, "As Kakashi pointed out to me that he is injured, I want Sara to go along as well, since she is his at least his equal as a ninja."

Ino muttered something under her breath, while she continued to glare at Sara, who held her gaze, unflinching.

Kakashi said, sensing that the two kunoichi might not get along, "So, Team Asuma, shall we get going?"

Choji said, "We owe you one, big time, Kakashi-sensei!"

Tsunade called out, "Sara! I would have preferred to send two squads after Team Asuma!"

Sara paused, and turned to look at Tsunade, "It's not the time yet for that, Lady Tsunade. Maybe next time!"

Kakashi and Team Asuma gazed between Sara and Tsunade in confusion, but from the way Sara was walking, they knew they weren't going to get anything out of her…at least…most of them knew that.

"What was that about, Sara?" Ino said, obviously having problems saying Sara's name.

Sara glanced at her, "Nothing that concerns anyone but the Hokage and myself." A smirk played across Sara's lips as Ino scowled.

Once they were away from the village, Kakashi paused and said, turning to Shikamaru, "Okay, let's hear that plan of yours."

"Id' like to tweak it now that you and Sara are with us, Master Kakashi," Shikamaru stated.

Kakashi nodded, "No problem. Go on."

"I'll explain it to you in pieces, with all the possible variations," Shikamaru said, looking from Kakashi to Sara. "Listen carefully, all of you, and memorize it!" He started to explain the parts of his plans.

Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, in the Hokage's office, Tsunade asked, "How's Naruto's training going?"

Sakura answered, "According to Kakashi-sensei, he seems to have finally grasped the principles and will only require a little more time to perfect it."

"I see…" she said, thoughtfully.

"Now that Kakashi-sensei and Sara have joined Cell Number Ten for this mission… The ideal scenario would be to have the team that can work best with them, Cell Number Seven, my cell follow after them as backup," Sakura said, boldly.

Tsunade said, "Sharp, Sakura…as always."

Shizune said, "However, we don't know exactly when Naruto will perfect his new jutsu…so perhaps we should send a different squad?"

"Sakura," Tsunade said. "Pass this on to Yamato. Tell him to have Naruto wrap it up in the next twenty four hours! If he can't we'll have to send a different squad as backup!"

"Yes ma'am!" Sakura answered.

"Shizune," Tsunade said, turning to her. "for the worst case scenario review the schedule and get me proposals for squads that can work well with Cell Number Ten."

"Understood," Shizune said, nodding.

"Well…Here we go…" Tsunade murmured.

**The Black Metamorphoses**

Shikamaru handed each member of the squad a small vile as he finished explaining his plan, "So…please use this when you get the chance. Hold onto it until then."

"Understood," Kakashi said, while Sara nodded.

Kakashi was impressed, _he really is something else…rapidly modifying his strategy to accommodate mine and Sara's sudden addition to their group._

Shikamaru continued, "Once you've got everything clear in your minds, run through a mental simulation at least three times. It's important 'cuz image training can really affect mission success rate."

"Yup!" Choji said nodding.

Ino also nodded, "Okay."

They stood, waiting for Ino, who had used her Mind Transfer Jutsu, to see if she could spot Hidan and Kakuzu. Her limp body sat bolt upright suddenly as Ino returned to her body. "Well?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Found'em!" Ino said. "They're taking a different route, just as you predicted. We can head them off in about ten minutes if we head northeast."

"All right," Kakashi said, moving away from the tree. "Let's go!"

They all got into position when the caught up with Hidan and Kakuzu several minutes later, and Shikamaru started the attack, his shadow moving stealthily across the ground towards the two Akatsuki members.

"Hidan," Kakuzu said to his partner, as the shadow came within inches of both of them.

"I know," Hidan answered, sounding bored, before he and Kakuzu sprang away as Shikamaru's jutsu split in two different directions trying to get the two Akatsuki.

Above them, Sara threw two kunai with letter bombs attached to them, sailing towards each, distracted, Akatsuki member.

Hidan used the chain attached to his weapon, to block the kunai that came at him, with Kakuzu blocked the other with his bare hand. The bombs exploded, and Hidan came sliding out of the smoke, the chain on his weapon now in pieces. "Kakuzu!"

Kakuzu came sliding out of the smoke as well, "I hardened my arm, so I'm fine!" He eyed the ground, "Just watch out for the shadows…!"

They both leapt back as Shikamaru's shadow came too close for their liking.

Hidan laughed, his eyes on the ground, "We won't keep falling for the same trick!"

Kakuzu was a bit smarter than his partner, "Hidan, above you!"

Hidan glanced up to see Shikamaru, poised in the air, ready to throw something. Shikamaru threw the two chakra blades with all his might at the two Akatsuki members.

Kakuzu, seeing the papers attached to the blades shouted, "Hidan, look out!" Both he and Hidan moved their heads to the side just enough so the chakra blades sailed right past them.

Hidan had braced himself for the explosion, so it was odd when there wasn't one, _it didn't detonate?_ His eyes widened in realization.

"We've been had," Kakuzu said, confirming what Hidan had figured out.

"Art of the Shadow Possession Shuriken, achieved," Shikamaru said.

_Can't move…_ "Fool," Hidan spat.

Shikamaru paid him no attention, "What I threw at you were chakra blades. Not only do they absorb the wielder's chakra nature…they also complement and assist the wielder's jutsu. In short, I was aiming at your shadows the whole time!" Shikamaru remembered what Asuma had told him over a game of Shogi:

_"Right," Asuma said, once Shikamaru had answered his question. "Now you'd be a knight. Knights may be weak, but can advance by leaping over other pieces. Such a unique movement is similar to your quick wit and unpredictable mind."_

Kakuzu was impressed, _these letter bombs are fakes…just ordinary pieces of paper… Now I see…the first letter bomb kunai were merely to mislead us into making sure we would try to avoid the second chakra blade set… He then distracted us further by forcing our attention to the ground with his shadow play so we wouldn't notice his attack from above until the last minute. By leaving us no time to evade, he bought himself the time to pierce our shadows and paralyze us! Quite the tactician this one._

Hidan shouted, "Hey, what are you doing getting caught too, Kakuzu? Hey! Hey! Hey! This isn't looking good, is it, eh?"

"That's an understatement," Shikamaru said. "By my calculations it's all over for you two now." Shikamaru sent his shadow over to Hidan so he could control his movements.

_Good work…_ Kakashi thought from behind his tree, as he peeked out. He let his gaze sweep the clearing, and he could see the spots where Ino, Choji, and Sara were supposed to be, but he couldn't see the young ninja, _even better…if I didn't know where they were, I wouldn't know they were there._

Hidan glared at the shadow as it reached him, "Fool…" Shikamaru's shadow rose off the ground enough to move the chakra blade from Hidan's shadow, so Hidan could move…at least at when Shikamaru wanted him to move.

"This time," Shikamaru said. "We won't mess up our order of attack." He moved his hand, and Hidan moved his own hand, the one that had his scythe.

"I never forget a face, kid. Someday I'm gonna find you, and I'm gonna kill you," Hidan shouted.

"Yeah, well…you just don't get it do you?" Shikamaru said as he had Hidan attack Kakuzu.

Hidan shouted as he swung his scythe, "Kakuzu, duck!"

Kakuzu managed to duck at the last minute, as his hand yanked the chakra blade out of the ground, from several feet away.

Shikamaru was bewildered as Hidan cheered, "Yeah!"

_What the…_ Ino thought, staring at the hand that held the chakra blade. The hand had black threads attached to it, and there were more in the hole that the hand had come out of. The black threads stretched towards Kakuzu, reattaching limb to body.

_When I Sara attacked them with the letter bombs like I told her to, he must've hidden his arm in the ground under the cover of smoke, _Shikamaru guessed.

"As you can plainly see, my abilities are countless," Kakuzu stated. "So you'd be wise to retreat and plan your next move if you're smart, unlike my companion here… Just remember all the analysis you do mid-battle means nothing…when the situation on the ground doesn't go as calculated."

"Kakuzu!" Hidan shouted, enraged. "What do you mean 'unlike my companion' eh?"

_That is really going to get annoying,_ Sara thought. _What is with the Akatsuki and having annoying speech habits?_

Hidan's tirade was cut short as Shikamaru had him attack Kakuzu again with multiple swipes of his scythe.

"Gah! My body…!" Hidan complained. "Can't…control…! Do something Kakuzu!" Kakuzu couldn't do much of anything as dodging Hidan's scythe swipes pinned him against a cliff wall.

_Now Choji!_ Shikamaru thought.

Leaping from his hiding place, into the air, Choji curled into a ball, _Spiked Human Juggernaut!_ His hair surrounded his entire body in a spiky armor as he sailed towards Kakuzu. Kakashi and Sara both watched intently as Kakuzu made a hand sign just before Choji struck.

Back in the Leaf Village, Naruto was standing in a crater that he had created, as he stood trying to catch his breath.

_O-oh my…_ Tenzo thought, impressed with Naruto's latest feat with his new jutsu.

"Almost there!" Naruto panted, clenching his fist. "Now Sasuke and I can be equals…!"

Tenzo frowned as he jumped into the crater and walked up to Naruto, "For sure…but you must still be careful around Sasuke's fire change in nature."

"Huh?" Naruto said.

"Right, I should probably start explaining to you the positive and negative relationships among the five great changes in nature," Tenzo said, pulling out a brush and scroll.

"Positive and negative?" Naruto wondered, totally lost.

"Simply put," Tenzo explained. "The five changes in nature, fire, water, earth, lightning, and wind each relate differently to the others, understand?"

"Yeah…uh…actually, no. Not really…" Naruto answered.

Tenzo unrolled the scroll, and started to use the brush to illustrate, "Here…picture it like this…" He lifted the brush away from the scroll and showed the illustration to Naruto. "This is how we depict the five great changes in chakra nature on paper. And so…for example, fire is a change in chakra nature that is superior to wind but inferior to water change in chakra nature. To put it even more simply…Naruto, your Wing Style jutsu will always lose to Sasuke's Fire Style jutsu. Only Water Style jutsu consistently defeats Fire Style jutsu."

"Why?" Naruto demanded.

Tenzo sighed, and elaborated even further, "When wind hits fire it merely makes the fire burn fiercer. But if you douse fire with water it will go out. So if you hit Sasuke's Fire Style jutsu with an equal strength Wind Style jutsu…it'll just turn into an even bigger Fire Style jutsu that he can then deflect back at you. However, look above and below Wind. Wind may be inferior to Fire, but it is superior to Lightning. In short, your new jutsu is superior to Sasuke's Lightning Style jutsu…the Chidori! Naruto, you're lucky your change in nature wasn't Earth."

"Wow." Naruto said, "So Sasuke and I are compatible after all…"

Tenzo nodded, "Yes, Wind beats Lightning outright."

"Nah, that's not what I meant," Naruto said, confusing Tenzo. "Only Wind…can assist and magnify Fire."

Tenzo understood then what Naruto meant, "Yeah…that's true too."

Back with Cell Ten, Choji slid to a halt beside Shikamaru and asked, "What's going on?"

Shikamaru muttered, "It's just as Raido said…" He recalled what Raido (the shinobi with the scars over his face) had said about his blade striking Kakuzu, but not getting the penetration that Raido had expected. "He's got some jutsu that lets him harden his body. That's his ability…"

"Good eye," Kakuzu complimented Shikamaru. "It's true. Physical attacks are virtually useless against me."

"Enough chitchat," Hidan snapped. "Let's start launching our counterattack. Kakuzu, hurry up and null this stupid Shadow Jutsu already…"

Kakuzu glanced back in surprise as he heard something behind him, but too late. Kakashi had struck him right in the chest with his Lightning Blade.

"What?" Hidan shouted, dismayed.

Kakuzu was baffled at Kakashi's appearance, "H-how…? I-I didn't even sense your approach…!"

"That flesh hardening jutsu of yours…from the signs you were weaving it's an Earth Style jutsu," Kakashi said.

"You…could read the signs…?" Kakuzu gasped. "Wait…your mastery of Lightning Style jutsu…that's it! You're…"

"Earth is inferior to Lightning," Kakashi stated. "Your bad luck. You're done for."

"We have to get rid of him first if we don't want trouble," Shikamaru said.

Choji reassured him, "Leave it to Kakashi-sensei!"

_Kakashi-sensei really is awesome…_ Ino thought from her hiding place. _Now there's just one left!_

"Master Kakashi!" Shikamaru shouted suddenly, feeling his Shadow Possession Jutsu starting to weaken.

Kakashi grasped the vile in his hand, placed it on Kakuzu's shoulder, and ripped his other hand that had pierced Kakuzu's chest, out, before he started up another Chidori, ready to attack Hidan, Kakuzu's body falling to the ground.

"Sucker punched right through the heart, eh?" Hidan mused. "I can't believe you were done in like that!" Hidan paled as Kakashi charged towards him.

Kakashi was taken off guard when Kakuzu kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.

Everyone, except Hidan, stared at Kakuzu in surprise, and in some cases, terror.

"All right!" Hidan said, as the tree that Kakashi had hit was blasted to pieces from his Lightning Blade. "Let's get this over with!"

Kakuzu muttered, "That's the plan."

_"Master Kakashi!" _Sara wondered anxiously.

She was relieved when his reply came back, _"I'm all right… But what's going on? I know I got his heart…"_

_"I'm as baffled as you are,"_ Sara answered, before she focused on Kakuzu and Hidan again, as Kakuzu threw off his cloak.

His back had four masks on it stitched into his flesh. As soon as he threw off his cloak, the masks pulled away from his skin, and landed on the ground around him, poised to attack.

Hidan glanced at the ground as Shikamaru's shadow receded. Shikamaru thought, _my Shadow Possession's reached its limit…_

"What are those?" Choji wondered, staring at the creatures. "Why isn't he dead?"

"Who knows…all I can do now…when it comes to these two is just be ready for anything…" Shikamaru said.

"Finally!" Hidan said, cracking his neck. "I can move again…"

Kakashi grunted as he stood up,_ "What are those? Any ideas? You've faced these two before…"_

_"I may have faced them before," _Sara answered. _"But they didn't show us Anbus at the time half of the things they can do."_

Hidan turned to Kakuzu, "Now…let the slaughter begin!"

Kakuzu glanced at the black creatures surrounding him as Hidan shouted, "Lord Jashin, behold! I give myself, body and soul to the carnage that is to come! In your name, I will rip their insides out and shred their entrails!"

Ino was worried by the black creatures, _what are those? Their chakra feels really nasty._

One of the black creatures had a broken mask, but it didn't stop the creature from roaring at Shikamaru and Choji.

"Be careful, Choji!" Shikamaru said, worried by the creatures.

Choji said solemnly, "Yup!"

They were prepared for it to leap at them, but the black creature whimpered as it crumbled to the ground and remained there in a black puddle.

"What the…" Choji and Shikamaru said in perfect unison.

Kakuzu didn't even glance at the creature as his back finished stitching itself back up.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Hidan shouted at Kakuzu, "One died right away after all! So stupid, eh!"

"_One of the masks that emerged from his body collapsed…that must be the on I got with my Lightning Blade just now…"_ Kakashi thought.

_"Yeah, which means that they can be killed along with Kakuzu,"_ Sara said silently.

Kakashi said to her, _"It's going to be rough…I want you to jump in if necessary got it?"_

_"I was already planning on it," _Sara answered.

Kakuzu said, "Hidan. Stay back. I got this."

"No way!" Hidan shouted. "I want in on this action…so let's just go with the usual…"

Kakuzu snorted, but he didn't argue, as Hidan rushed forward at Kakashi, who whipped out a kunai and blocked the blow from the scythe. Kakashi's eyes widened as Hidan smiled manically at him as one of the black creatures leapt into the air behind the two fighting shinobi.

Kakuzu controlled the creature from below, _Wind Style: Pressure Damage!_ Kakashi and Hidan were hit with the jutsu.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Choji shouted, shielding his eyes from the debris that came flying at him and Shikamaru from the jutsu.

Ino shielded her eyes as well, _he shot right through his own teammate? Why? Unless… Oh! He's taking advantage of his partner's immortality…!_

Kakuzu turned his gaze on Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru said, "We're next Choji!" Choji swallowed nervously in response.

Another of the masked creatures prepared to attack them. Ino shouted, coming out of her hiding place, "Choji! Shikamaru! Run!"

_Lightning Style! False Darkness_, the mask unleashed a blast of lightning, and Shikamaru whipped out a scroll that he held in front of himself.

_Lightning Blade!_ Kakashi activated two Lightning Blades, one on each hand as he blocked the jutsu.

"Sensei!" Choji said in surprise and relief.

The other Lightning Style was so powerful that it disintegrated Kakashi's gloves, and left his hands burned.

_These two…they're strong…especially the one with the mask…_ Kakashi thought. _One normally can't perform such high-level jutsu unless they're compatible with one's own chakra natures…and yet he's already displayed Earth, Wind, AND Lightning…_ He said silently to Sara, _"You'd better get down here soon."_

_"On the next attack," _Sara informed him. "_He won't know what hit him."_

Kakashi smiled under his frayed mask, _"Good, because that's what we need right now."_ Kakashi had lost his headband and vest from the Wind Style jutsu that Kakuzu had used, and his mask was ripped a bit on his right cheek.

Hidan said, "You're the first to have survived this routine, Kakashi Hatake."

"You saw through the jutsu with your Sharingan," Kakuzu stated. "Well then, what about this next one?" A different masked creature stepped forward, _Fire Style! Searing Migraine!_

_"Perfect!" _Sara shouted silently at Kakashi as she spotted the first flames.

Kakashi was starting to believe Sara had lost her mind, as a deluge of flames swept towards him and the other members of Cell Ten.

**Diversion**

_Fire Style too?_ Kakashi thought worriedly as the deluge of flames came closer and closer. _I can't wait for Sara to act any longer…Water Style: Water Wall!_

The flames from Kakuzu's jutsu hit the water, and merely went right on through. Kakashi, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino all leapt out of the way of the flames, each of them catching a glimpse of something sailing through Kakashi's Water Wall and into the flames.

Hidan grinned at Kakuzu as the flames continued to incinerate anything in their path. "They couldn't withstand tha…!" He and Kakuzu both leapt to the side as talons struck the ground where they had been standing. A massive bird sailed back the way it had come slowly shrinking in size as it emitted crackling sounds of static electricity.

Kakuzu squinted against the smoke that his jutsu had left behind. As the bird started to spin around, he watched a figure catch it, "So…there was a fifth one."

"Perfect!" Hidan shouted. "More sacrifices for Lord Jashin!"

"Not today," Sara said as the smoke cleared completely. She glanced back at Kakashi and the others, _"Sorry about that…I didn't think you'd ever use a Water style jutsu…"_

_"I didn't think I had to. You said you'd take care of it!" _Kakashi countered.

_"Your Water style increased my jutsu's strength to the point that it could penetrate the flames though," _Sara thought back.

_"Next time tell me to do a jutsu then!" _Kakashi snapped.

_"I'll warn you next time."_

Kakashi glanced at Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino, _"Can you take both of them on at once?"_

_"I sure as hell can try," _Sara answered, throwing the boomerang in her hand again.

While Sara was busy distracting Hidan and Kakuzu, Choji asked as he approached Kakashi along with Shikamaru and Ino, "Sensei, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Kakashi answered. _Then again, I've now performed four lightning blades while keeping the Sharingan active…I can't let this drag on much longer…_

Ino commented as she watched Sara take on both Kakuzu and Hidan, "Their teamwork…so smooth…seamless…"

Meanwhile, Sara was finding it difficult to keep the two Akatsuki at bay while the others talked, her new jutsu: Lightning Rage, was serving her well constantly going at them at least twice before it returned to her hand, and she wasn't left exposed to the enemy as she still had a bit of the jutsu emitting from her hand as well…it was keeping the two shinobi constantly in her sights that was proving to be the problem. Hidan and Kakuzu kept circling her, like vultures, taunting her with feints every time her jutsu went flying past them. _They'd better hurry up!_

Choji squinted at Kakuzu's blurred shape as he kept feinting attacks at Sara, "I know Kakashi-sensei's Lightning Blade was on target…how is that guy not dead yet?"

"I destroyed his heart. That should've killed him," Kakashi agreed. "However, it seems I merely took down one of the monsters that emerged from his body. I suspect it died in his place…"

"Similar to when he escaped the Shadow Possession earlier," Shikamaru added. "It was as if the arm he detached from himself possessed its own beating heart that allowed it to move autonomously."

"Which means what?" Choji asked.

"I suspect that each of those monsters that emerged…not to mention that masked guy himself, all have separate hearts. And yet all of the hearts are his too. Which means he started out with five hearts."

"Five?" Choji shouted. "But that's impossible!"

Shikamaru didn't seem to hear Choji as he mused, "Although, he's down one now, thanks to Kakashi-sensei's Lightning Blade."

As if mentioning the monsters brought them back to Kakuzu's mind, he made a gesture with his hand and one of the monster's sprang forward from behind Sara, who was unaware of Kakuzu having made any other move then to dodge her jutsu.

"You mean," Ino said, turning to face Shikamaru, "in order to take him down permanently we need to destroy four more hearts?"

"Apparently," Shikamaru said, turning his gaze back to the fight along with the others just as Kakashi inhaled sharply, and his hand jerked a bit towards his right shoulder.

At the same moment, one of Kakuzu's monsters had sunk its teeth into Sara's right shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.

Ino asked Kakashi anxiously, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Kakashi said, gazing worriedly at Sara.

_That was odd,_ Ino thought, turning her gaze back to the fight. _Come on, Sheatan! Don't let them beat you!_

Slightly ticked off, Sara glanced back at the creature that was holding her, before she turned to face the threat in front of her: Hidan was coming at her, swinging his scythe. _I've got to time this just right… "Phoenix…get ready!"_

_"I always am!" Phoenix muttered darkly._

As the scythe came within a few inches of her, she thought, _"Now!"_ A surge of chakra came from Phoenix, emitting itself from her body, burning the creature as it did so. With a shriek, the creature released her just as Hidan's scythe was a hairsbreadth away from her, and she teleported out of her predicament, appearing beside Kakashi, "Did that suffice for a distraction?"

Kakashi couldn't help smiling as the creature shrieked again as Hidan's scythe pierced it, and Kakuzu grabbed his chest, wincing. "Yes it did."

Shikamaru nodded, "Nice job on taking out another of his hearts."

"So you all confirmed that he has more than one heart?" She inquired.

Shikamaru nodded, "He started out with five, and thanks to you and Master Kakashi, he's now down to three."

"Good eye again," Kakuzu praised, turning to face them. He glanced at the monster that had attacked Sara, which was now a puddle. "I admit, I was a bit careless with that one…Each of these hearts belonged to a shinobi that I battled and got the best of. Destroy one and I'll replenish it with another. With your hearts, for example."

Hidan nodded in agreement to Kakuzu's words as he walked over to stand beside his comrade, giving him, what some would consider, an apologetic glance, "You were careless with those two hearts, but it will be easy to replenish them, considering we are the immortal duo!"

_Now it makes sense,_ Kakashi thought. _He took in others' hearts along with their chakra natures, harbored in the chakra network which is why he can perform so many changes in nature. _"Shikamaru, what now?" Kakashi questioned, glancing at the younger shinobi.

"The best way to fight them is to separate them," Shikamaru stated. "So, first we divide and conquer. Fight them separately. Then we focus on the one we know we can defeat by killing three more times."

"Which means we need someone to stall that Hidan fellow," Kakashi stated.

"I'll do it," Ino said, feeling brave, not to mention that she wanted to show up Sara a bit. "I've got the most chakra in reserve right now, plus I'm not useful in simple battles, so…I can use my mind transfer technique…"

"No," Shikamaru said. "Don't forget, your mind transfer technique is a jutsu normally used with my Shadow Possession, where it's launched AFTER the target has been immobilized…if you miss, you won't be able to return to your own body for a few minutes…it's too high risk."

Ino lowered her head, _I just want to be useful!_ She blinked in surprise when she felt a hand on her right shoulder. Glancing to the right revealed that it was Sara, using her good arm to try and perk Ino up, she mouthed, "You're useful, your our medic." Ino rolled her eyes as Sara grinned mischievously, moving her had away.

"I'll do it," Shikamaru continued after deliberating for several seconds. "I'll bind him with Shadow Possession, then move him out of range."

"Not alone you're not," Sara said, giving him a stern glance.

Kakashi said as Shikamaru opened his mouth to argue, "Arguing can wait for a bit…the question is…how we're going to trap him…we still need some kind of diversion."

"One diversion coming right up," Choji said, starting to make a hand sign.

"Nix on that TOO," Shikamaru glared at Sara as he emphasized the too. "If he so much as scratches you and captures your blood, it's all over." Hidan and Kakuzu were watching them with confident grins. "We can't hope to approach and attack him from our side." Shikamaru turned to Choji, "Choji, you preserve your chakra so you can help Master Kakashi beat this guy."

"What are you all whispering about?" Hidan demanded. "I'm itching to get started again!

Shikamaru finished, "Not only will I trap him on my own…but I'll also be the diversion…"

"You won't be alone," Sara practically growled, sending a bit of fear coursing through Shikamaru. "Let me help you…" Shikamaru turned to tell her no, once again, when his gaze locked with hers. He sighed in defeat as he saw the same pain that was in his own eyes…the pain of wanting revenge for those shinobi who had been killed by Hidan with his scythe. "All right…" he conceded. Sara nodded.

The others looked as if they wanted to argue as well, but Kakashi said, "Let's leave it up to them." He approached Shikamaru and held out his hand, "Shikamaru…here…" He dropped something into Shikamaru's hand.

"Thanks," Shikamaru said before he and Sara stepped in front of the others. Shikamaru looked at Sara and prayed that she would let him do the diversion part without interfering. He made a hand sign, and his shadow shot forward towards the two Akatsuki members and the two remained creatures, splitting as it got nearer to them.

"That again?" Kakuzu said in disbelief.

Hidan taunted, "You scared of my scythe and my abilities, eh? A covert attack from a distance? Tsk. Tsk. How shameful!" They all leapt away from the shadow at the last minute, Hidan leaping onto a tree while Kakuzu and his creatures remained on the ground.

As Kakuzu made to advance on Shikamaru, Kakashi leapt into his path, "You're mine.

Hidan taunted, once again, as he continued to dodge the shadow, "Slowpoke!" A whistling sound attracted his attention as he turned his head slightly to see the chakra blade from before sailing right towards his shadow. He glanced at the ground where a shadow was poised, having just thrown the blade._ He picked up and threw the blade with his shadow…!_

Sara stood beside Shikamaru, watching him for any sign that he wanted her assistance, _I'll let him do this part on his own…not the next part, though…that's too dangerous for any shinobi be they chûnin or Hokage…_

Hidan leapt into the air to avoid the blade, and it hit the trunk, just missing his shadow. Shikamaru maneuvered his own shadow to pick up the blade once again while Hidan was in the air, and he had the shadow throw the blade once again.

Ino smiled in relief, _it's harder to maneuver in midair…but he got him!_

Hidan was not to be so easily caught, though. Digging his scythe's blades into the trunk of the tree, he managed to maneuver his shadow away from the blade and he smirked as he saw Ino and Choji's looks of disbelief. _Heh…you all are so naïve…as long as you watch the shadows this jutsu is useless!_ He glanced up and his eyes widened in shock as Shikamaru appeared in front of him, _What?_

Shikamaru punched him, their shadows connecting, "I don't just hide in the shadows…I become them!" He pulled leapt away from Hidan, his technique successful as the two landed on the ground, "Shadow Possession Jutsu achieved!"

"You…" Hidan tried to think of an insult good enough to describe Shikamaru, but he couldn't come up with anything.

Sara appeared next to Shikamaru, having teleported, "Let's go."

"Right," Shikamaru turned to start leading Hidan away from Kakuzu.

Kakashi glanced at the two young shinobi as they started to leave, but he quickly turned his attention back to Kakuzu and his creatures, which had him surrounded.

Choji and Ino headed towards Kakashi. Choji shouted, "Leave this place to us!"

"Just take care of him!" Ino added.

Shikamaru nodded before he took off, running right beside him, along with a Shadow Possessed Hidan, who had been reaching for his scythe, which fell to the ground as he was forced to run with Shikamaru.

Hidan demanded as he ran, "You really think you can divide and conquer me and Kakuzu, eh?"

"Let's just go for a pleasant stroll, shall we," Shikamaru said.

**Turning Point!**

"That Shikamaru lad," Kakuzu mused. "I bet he would command quite a high bounty…not to mention that lass with him…she's hiding an Anbu tattoo under those bandages isn't she?" None of the Leaf shinobi said a word. "Sending them to deal with Hidan by themselves may seem wise, tactically speaking, but it was a fatal underestimation of Hidan's talents. Those two are going to die today. But you all are correct. I am strong…" The Leaf Village ninja glared at him. "The gap between our respective battle experiences is vast… Your headbands…they remind me of the very first Leaf Village shinobi I fought…" He extended his out towards them, the black threads slowly weaving away from his arm. "The First Hokage…"

"What?" Choji shouted.

Ino was also shocked, "Just how old is this guy?"

Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm, but he said in a steady voice, "So…you really are immortal…"

"Nah…there's no such thing," Kakuzu said. "I've just managed to prolong my existence by stealing and stocking up on others' hearts before mine stops from old age. By removing it while that shinobi is still alive." Ino shuddered at the image Kakuzu painted with his words. "I can store up to five hearts at any one time. Kakashi…yours shall replace the one you destroyed…" There was a squelching sound, and the two remaining creatures merged together.

Kakashi turned at the sound, _those are the Fire Style and Wind Style masks!_

Meanwhile in a wooded area, Sara threw kunai with wires and paper bombs attached to them, around the area as Shikamaru showed her mental images of the area how he wanted it to look. As the last kunai hit the trees, Hidan said, "You really don't want me to get away, eh…" When neither Shikamaru nor Sara spoke he muttered, "Feh!" He waited for the two Leaf shinobi to say something, but they didn't.

Shikamaru glanced at Sara and nodded; looking reluctant, Sara teleported away from the area, reappearing on the very edges of the woods, _Damn that Shikamaru some days, _she thought angrily, crossing her arms across her chest as she gazed into the trees where she knew Shikamaru and Hidan were at…

Back in the woods, Hidan said gleefully as Shikamaru's shadow slipped away from him, "Just the two of us now…and this shadow move, it's limit is about five minutes, no?" Shikamaru remained silent as he stood breathing heavily. "Fool. That's more than enough time for me…" Hidan rushed forward swinging his spire-like sword. Shikamaru looked alarmed and raised his arm to defend himself. He hit the ground with a thud, and grunted in pain as he moved his arms away from his face to reveal a cut on his cheek.

Hidan licked Shikamaru's blood off the sword and his skin turned to the color of deepest black while white areas showed where his bones were. With a maniacal grin, Hidan speared his hand, while Shikamaru watched in horror as Hidan let his blood spill onto the ground so he could draw his diagram on the ground.

Once he finished drawing the diagram, Hidan said, "The conditions have been satisfied." He raised his spire-like sword tip to his chest, "Die!" Shikamaru's eyes widened in alarm as Hidan stabbed his chest.

Back with Kakashi, Ino, and Choji, the two masks used jutsu at the same time creating a Fire Style jutsu that was infused with Wind Style. Kakashi leapt back as the fire roared towards him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Choji and Ino shouted as they shielded themselves with their arms from the debris that the fire was creating as it raged towards them.

Weaving hand signs, Kakashi formed a circle with his fingers, _Water Style, Water Wall!_ Water rushed towards the flames thought it couldn't stop them completely, _I guess Water Style jutsu isn't enough to put out wind-enhanced fire!_ Something started to grab at him, and Kakashi glanced at the ground in alarm as black tendrils wrapped around him.

Kakuzu, having used the flames as a cover, had used his black tendrils to snag Kakashi. Moving his arm downward aggressively, Kakashi was thrown to the ground.

"Sensei!" Ino shouted while Choji started to move forward to try and assist Kakashi.

Kakashi hit the ground and lay winded as Kakuzu loamed over him. "Your heart is mine," Kakuzu said as the black tendrils started to pierce the flesh on Kakashi's chest.

Hidan stabbed his chest, and Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock as he slowly started to slump forward, Asuma's voice ringing in his ears, _"I'm counting on you…Shikamaru…"_

As Shikamaru's body hit the ground, Hidan scoffed, "Feh…how pitiful…Lord Jashin too is disappointed." A items fell out of Shikamaru's pouch as his body hit the ground, though Hidan couldn't care less. He turned away from Shikamaru and muttered, "Now I have to hunt down that friend of yours…I would hope Kakuzu's done on his end by now as well…he'll probably want to hunt her down as well saying she's worth some price or another!"

Kakuzu clutched at his chest as one of his hearts gave a throb and then stopped beating, and he grunted in pain, "D-don't tell me…"

"Yes, that's right," Kakashi said. "We used your blood. Shikamaru knew your partner has the ability to use others' blood. So he had blood storing capsules prepared ahead of time."

"No way…" Hidan croaked. "But when did you…"

Kakashi's eyes gleamed, even though he was in pain as the tendrils dug, slowly, deeper into his chest, "When I opened that hole in you with my Lightning Blade…I took some of your blood then. It's you two who underestimate Shikamaru." At that precise moment, Shikamaru started to slowly get to his feet without making a sound. "He would never let go to waste the intelligence Asuma sacrificed his life to obtain…"

With a calculating stare at Hidan's back, Shikamaru prepared to attack.

**Shikamaru's Genius**

"Guess I ought to get going," Hidan said. Something possessed him to turn his head a bit and he turned just in time to see the edge of a katana blade millimeters away from his neck. Shikamaru struck Hidan's neck, slicing the Akatsuki member's headband off, and cutting his head half off, _too shallow!_ Making a hand sign, his shadow shot towards Hidan's and kept the Akatsuki member from moving. Shikamaru was breathing heavily from his brief exertion.

"You…" Hidan spluttered, blood coming out of his mouth and dripping down his chest, "How come you're still alive?"

Shikamaru raised his hand to his cheek, "I just pretended like you had gotten me…" He wiped away the blood that was there. "See, the blood on your weapon isn't mine…it's your partner's." Hidan's eyes widened in shock and rage. "It didn't matter who did it…whoever got the chance was supposed to extract some of that Kakuzu fellow's blood…" He lifted up the capsule he had used to put Kakuzu's blood on his cheek and Hidan's blade, "Store it in this capsule." He went through what he had done when Hidan had charged at him, how he had to drop some blood on the blade and then on his cheek. "That was our plan," he said with a smirk.

"You…" Hidan growled.

Meanwhile, Sara continued to gaze into the trees waiting for either Shikamaru or Hidan to emerge. One or the other would emerge from the woods eventually, this she was definite of, and she prayed with all her might that it would be Shikamaru. Her thoughts wandered to the others who were fighting Kakuzu, _I hope they're okay…_

Kakuzu collapsed, though the tendrils still were imbedded in Kakashi's flesh. Kakashi sat up slowly while Ino and Choji ran towards him shouting, "Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi didn't pay much attention to them as he grabbed the tendrils and started to yank them out of his chest, though he grunted with pain.

Ino chastened him, "Slowly! Let me use my medical ninjutsu to heal you first."

"Treat me later," Kakashi said, as he yanked out the tendrils, watching the two masked creatures approach them at a run.

Choji, thinking quickly, stepped in front of both Ino and Kakashi and clapped his hands together, _Art of Expansion Jutsu!_ In a puff of smoke, he was the size of a giant and sending chakra down to his hands he flattened the two creatures, _Super Slap!_

"Nice, Choji!" Ino said as the dust from Choji's jutsu started to clear.

Choji merely grinned in response, until he heard Ino cry out in surprise and Kakashi grunt as they both leapt away from Kakuzu's body as black tendrils erupted from his body, and he started to get back on his feet. "Three of my hearts gone," he said, having gotten to his feet. Black tendrils rose up into the air from his back like spikes, while some came out of his mouth, and while others elongated his arms. "Been a real long time since that's happened…"

Hidan laughed as he was forced to stand by Shikamaru's jutsu. He said, grinning, "Putting an opponent under the same jutsu so many times even an idiot would start picking up on its details…" Shikamaru didn't say anything, as he tried to catch his breath. "Your jutsu isn't as powerful as it was earlier…I can still move. Seems that each time you bind me, it's strength and duration diminishes…" Hidan was fighting the jutsu as he started to remove his blade from his chest, "Which means the more you use your shadow art the more it's overall effective is compromised…which means you're also means you're approaching the limit of your chakra…eh? And your friend isn't here to help you either!" Shikamaru fell to one knee as he released his jutsu. Hidan rushed forward with triumphant, maniacal laughter, raising his spire-like sword into the air.

With lightning like movements, Kakuzu had Ino, Choji, and Kakashi clasped by his tendrils.

_He's fast!_ Kakashi thought, trying to get free from the tendrils.

Ino's eyes were wide with terror as she struggled, _I can't move!_

Choji's eyes widened in alarm as he watched the two masks that were next to Kakuzu's head, started to perform their two separate styles of jutsu.

As the jutsu was about to be released, a vortex of water that knocked Kakuzu back.

Kakashi, Ino, and Choji gazed in astonishment as a familiar voice said, "Sorry we're late!"

In front of them stood Naruto, Yamato, Sakura, and Sai, fresh and ready for battle.

**Sacred Ground**

Kakashi sighed in relief, "Perfect timing actually."

"Sakura…Sai…and Naruto too!" Ino said, relieved.

"Oy!" Choji exclaimed, "Reinforcements, yay!

Tenzo glanced back at Kakashi, taking in his appearance, "I've never seen you so slovenly, Kakashi."

"The enemy is pretty strong," Kakashi explained.

Tenzo wasn't the only one taking in appearances. Kakuzu looked Naruto up and down, noting his scoffed up face and dirty clothes, "Another weirdo shows up…and already disheveled?"

Naruto paid no attention to Kakuzu's remark, instead noting that two shinobi were missing, "Where's Shikamaru and Bright Eyes?"

"They're battling the enemy a little ways away," Choji explained.

Kakashi took command then, "Two of you head over and assist them. A long distance fighter and a medic."He made a hand sign and summoned Pakkun, who said, "Follow me, comrades."

Tenzo nodded, "Sure! Sai and Sakura, go with Pakkun, help them out!"

"Yes, sir!" Sai and Sakura said in perfect unison.

Kakuzu laughed, "More potential replacement hearts for me…excellent…"

Naruto took a step forward, "Nuh-uh, Slime Face…this is MY show now…"

Pakkun glanced back at Sakura and Sai, "Let's go!"

Sakura made to follow Pakkun and called over her shoulder, "Naruto, we're counting on you!" Sai nodded in agreement to Sakura's statement before the three of them took off.

Kakashi questioned, "He's perfected it…?"

Tenzo glanced back at him and was silent for a few seconds. He finally answered, "No. It works only fifty percent of the time…"

"I see," Kakashi mused as Naruto smirked.

Tenzo wasn't done yet though, "However, we'll just keep watching. See…Naruto's come a long way…"

Back in the woods, Hidan was still laughing insanely, "If you believed in Lord Jashin…he could save you right about now! It might not be too late to convert…change your ways…Ah, just kidding fool!" Hidan made to impale his sword in Shikamaru's head.

Shikamaru raised his hand, stopping Hidan's attack. Hidan stared at his arm in surprise. "Thanks, but I can save myself," Shikamaru shouted. _Art of the Shadow Pull!_ His shadow leapt in multiple directions away from Hidan, grabbing the wires that Sara had set up for him earlier, dragging the wires so that they wrapped the paper bombs around Hidan's body.

"You…!" Hidan grunted.

Shikamaru glanced around, looking for a mark on the ground that he knew was there. Spotting the mark he was looking for, the mark that represented his clan; he threw a blade at it, and that set the ground to crumbling away beneath Hidan, who was suspended in the air by the wires.

"What is this?" Hidan shouted. "When did you set this up?"

"A while ago," Shikamaru answered. "Before we met up again."

Hidan was astonished, _No way…he didn't just randomly separate me and Kakuzu…he deliberately lured me here? Which means…this was all part of his calculations…!_

" "Curses, like chickens, always come home to roost"…" Shikamaru said, picking up Asuma's lighter, which had fallen out of his pouch earlier. "You cursed my teacher dead." He muttered as he flicked the lighter open, and he lit an imaginary cigarette, "Can't just let you keep living, running around free." Hidan was starting to get seriously worried. "That there is your grave."

Hidan started to laugh, "I won't die. Even if you were to dismember my body and bury the parts six feet deep…I'd eventually drag myself out and come for your throat."

Shikamaru wasn't fazed by this one bit, "But you see, this forest is a special place even within the Land of Fire…there's a reason my friend left after helping me out…you see, only members of my clan are allowed in here…all others are forbidden from even setting foot on this ground...Once you do, we can watch you for all eternity." Deer had begun to gather, watching Hidan and Shikamaru with intelligent eyes.

Shikamaru started as he felt a hand rest on his right shoulder. Glancing that way, he was surprised to see his teacher.

Asuma praised him, _"Good work, Shikamaru."_

"Thanks," Shikamaru said.

Asuma started to fade, _"I bequeath my will of fire to you."_

Shikamaru held on to the lighter in his hand for a second, before he threw it at Hidan, _Farewell…Master Asuma…_

Hidan's eyes widened in terror as he realized what was going to happen, just seconds before the paper bombs all went off at once.

Meanwhile, Sara felt like she was being watched and moved her gaze away from the spot she was staring at in the trees to a spot that was closer. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see a stag watching her, its head lowered with its large rack of antlers. She smiled before she spoke to the stag, "You're not going to shish kabob me in the butt again, are you?" The stag shook itself in answer and she laughed, at ease, _the deer wouldn't be acting this way if Shikamaru were in any danger_…She leaned against the tree then, and the stag emerged from the trees, resting its head on her left shoulder. "Yeah, now you like me," she muttered darkly, patting its majestic head.

**The New Jutsu**

As the smoke and dust cleared from the explosion, Shikamaru approached the pit, gazing into the hole that now contained the various parts of Hidan, all scattered about the pit. Hidan's head glared up at him and laughed insanely.

"Putting me in such a position…h-how dare you…" Hidan shouted. "I swear, Lord Jashin will punish you! The severest judgment ever dealt by the Church of Jashin…"

Shikamaru wasn't fazed by this threat, "You don't scare me a bit. Neither does your god. You and me, we believe in different things." He remained silent for a second, before he continued, "Me, I believe in the Will of Fire. And your god right now isn't that stupid Lord Jashin or anyone else…it's me…and I'm passing judgment on you!" Shikamaru pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it and threw it at the side of the pit, causing the side to explode and crumble down to bury Hidan.

Hidan shouted as the pieces of earth plummeted towards him, "I warned you! The Church of Jashin will punish you! Eh?" He laughed insanely, "And then I'll be the one passing judgment on you! Teeth! That's all I need! I'll chew you to bits!"

Shikamaru remained unfazed by this declaration as Hidan fell silent. Shikamaru remained by the pit, lost in the memories of his old mentor.

Meanwhile, Naruto had created two Shadow clones, and Hidan mused, "Shadow clones…so you're the Nine Tail's Jinchûriki…"

Tenzo glanced at Kakashi, "Can you bring us up to speed on what we're dealing with here?"

"Two Akatsuki members," Kakashi began, "the one Shikamaru and Sara are facing and this one here, Kakuzu…he possess the ability to detach his body parts… See those two masks? Not only can they detach, but each one has its own beating heart and can act autonomously. He started with five, but he's down to two"

Tenzo glanced back at Kakashi in surprise and shock, "You mean…?"

"We've killed him three times so far," Kakashi said, nodding. "And he won't go down for good unless we kill him two more times. Plus, he's a mid distance fight that can use several different chakra changes in nature."

_No wonder Kakashi's had his hands full. _Tenzo shouted, "Naruto!"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, sending two clones forward, "Five hearts, two more kills…got it!"

Choji shouted, "Naruto! Wait!"

"You can't go in by yourself!" Ino shouted, worriedly.

One clone was automatically gripped by Kakuzu's tendrils, while the second dodged to the side, throwing kunai at Kakuzu. Kakuzu leapt into the air and easily dispatched the second clone.

"Just your Shadow Clones?" Kakuzu said, sounding insulted. "You'll never win that way."

_Based on his assault speed and battle style…_ Naruto thought, considering the information has clones had attained. _I'm gonna need at least three clones for the diversion alone._

Kakashi watched, impressed, as Naruto thought, _seems he's at least mastered the technique of tapping his Shadow clones experiences and using their knowledge to his advantage in battle._

Naruto made a hand sign and created three Shadow clones, but two of the clones gathered around Naruto while one stood in front, blocking Kakuzu's view.

Kakuzu's eyes widened, as did Ino and Choji's as they watched Naruto's new jutsu start to take shape as Naruto started out creating a Rasengan with a shuriken like shape. Tenzo was the only one who appeared to be unfazed by Naruto's jutsu.

"What is that?" Ino rhetorically asked.

Choji could feel the vibrations coming from the jutsu along with the others, "What high pitched vibrations…incredible chakra!"

Kakashi's thoughts drifted to when he had seem Naruto's newest jutsu in its earliest stages…

_"This is as far as I've gotten,"__**Naruto said. **__"It's finally starting to get a shape…"_

_**Kakashi **__**easily created the Rasengan in his right hand and he said to Naruto, **__"All right… Let's see what it can do by colliding it with my Rasengan. Ready?"_

_"Are you sure that's a good idea?"__** Sara called out from where she was standing next to Tenzo. Kakashi ignored her.**_

_**Naruto was terrified, **__"WHAT?"_

_**The two had their different Rasengans collide, and , at first, it looked as if neither was the worse for wear, until Kakashi bent forward a bit with a soft groan, gripping his right arm. He could already feel Sara's worry and he gave her a smile to reassure her that he was all right, before he turned to say something to Naruto. When he turned he lost his train of thought as he was struck by the resemblance Naruto had to the Fourth Hokage…**_

Dirt started to get thrown up, and Kakuzu was starting to get worried, "What the…What is that jutsu?" _If I get hit with that…it'll be bad…mustn't let it happen!_

With the jutsu completed, Naruto raised his right hand into the air, the Rasengan had taken the form of a giant shuriken, _Wind Style! Rasen-Shuriken!_

**The Perilous Bridge**

"Wind Style! Rasen-Shuriken!" Naruto shouted as his clones sprinted forward.

"Here we go!" One of the clones shouted.

Choji didn't want to be left out of the action, "I'm comin' in!"

Tenzo stuck out his arm, blocking Choji's path, "No! Steer clear of Naruto! You'll just get caught up in it!" Ino stared at him in shock, stunned that Naruto's new jutsu could be considered so powerful.

Kakuzu watched the clones come towards him, "So this is the power of the Nine Tails' Jinchûriki. The jutsu certainly befits the beast."

One of the clones flipped into the air, kunai in hand, and it tried to stab Kakuzu with it.

Kakuzu reacted quickly, his tendrils stopping the first clone in midair, leaving room for the other two clones to try and strike him with their own kunai knives.

Without hesitation the two masks on Kakuzu's shoulders spouted their own separate jutsu, spouting fire in one direction and wind in another…the two clones didn't stand a chance.

Kakuzu turned as he saw Naruto rushing towards him, the Rasen-Shuriken in his hand still. Everyone's eyes widened in anticipation as Naruto swung at Kakuzu the jutsu…fizzled out…

Choji stared in confusion at Naruto and Kakuzu while Ino asked hopefully, "Did he win?"

"No," Tenzo answered, worried. "It fell short."

Kakashi reacted faster than Tenzo, running to assist Naruto, "Always a bundle of surprises that boy…all right. Yamato!"

"Right!" Tenzo shouted, following Kakashi.

Naruto tried to leap away from Kakuzu, but he was entangled within the tendrils within a second.

Kakuzu grunted as he dragged Naruto towards him, "Your heart belongs to me. A movement caught his attention and he turned to look, only to get hit by Tenzo's Wood Style, while Kakashi used his Lightning Blade to slice the tendrils, freeing Naruto.

Tenzo wasn't through yet, though. Once Kakashi had gotten Naruto out of the way, he changed his jutsu so that the wood was now several pieces with pointed tips. He maneuvered them so that he could impale Kakuzu against an ancient tree. Leaping back, Kakuzu managed to dodge the attack at the last minute by leaping to his right as the wood buried itself in the poor, old tree.

"Oh man!" Naruto moaned, upset by his jutsu failing to work properly as he sat on the ground.

Ino sighed and said in a superior tone, "You seemed different, Naruto, but I guess you're still the same old Naruto after all."

"When you said **Rasen-Shuriken** I figured you'd boomerang it," Choji added. "Do you really need to run up and smack him head on?"

Naruto snapped, annoyed, "HEY! IT'S AWESOME WHEN IT HITS OKAY?"

Kakashi pondered on what Naruto had just said, while Tenzo, sensing everyone's doubts, said, "Yeah, the name is misleading. Rasen-Shuriken only really works as a melee attack. Thus the need for a diversion. Thus all the Shadow clones." Naruto glared at him since Tenzo really hadn't helped dispel the others doubts.

"This new jutsu burns too quickly," Kakashi said, based on what he had observed earlier. "It lasts only a few seconds."

Choji said, "Then we're stuck. We can't hit him that fast. Not this guy…"

The Leaf Village ninja weren't the only ones analyzing Naruto's new jutsu. Kakuzu was also formulating a counter-strategy to go up against Naruto's Rasen-Shuriken, _looks like his jutsu is useless so long as I keep my distance. So avoid close combat and keep my eye on the real body. Okay, simple enough._

Naruto stood up, "Let me try this again." Kakashi shot him a questioning look, though he remained silent. "Now that I know what I'm doing," Naruto added, his voice filled with determination.

Ino said, her tone still superior, "Remember, he's AKATSUKI. If you repeat your move he'll just dodge it!"

"Yeah," Choji agreed. "That's no good. Now he knows what to expect. Let's all pull together on this."

"That's true," Kakashi conceded. "Right now, we're five against one. We don't need to cross shaky bridges.

Kakuzu watched the Leaf shinobi apprehensively, _what now?_

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, getting Kakashi's attention. "Do you remember what you told me during training?" Kakashi and Tenzo both stared at him with questioning looks. "You said that I'm the only shinobi who will surpass the Fourth Hokage. And you meant what you said."

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise, _of all the things he remembers, he remembers that!_

Naruto continued, "Look, I know teamwork is important. I do. But right now, this is a bridge I need to cross alone. No matter how dangerous it is. I if don't work my way to the other side, I'll just be a kid forever." He closed his eyes, picturing Sasuke, "Don't take away my chance to prove what I can do!"

Kakashi was thoughtful for a few seconds before he asked, "What do you say, Yamato?"

"Well…I've yet to see how much Naruto has changed," Tenzo admitted.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, "There we are then." He looked at Naruto, "Go on, Naruto."

"All right!" Naruto said, eagerly stepping forward.

Kakuzu was a bit worried by Naruto, _I'd better shift to a long range style…_ Black tendrils erupted from his mouth, back, and arms, giving Kakuzu an octopus like appearance.

"Wow…" Choji muttered in shock at this change, while Ino put her hands to her mouth in fear.

Tenzo clenched his teeth as he watched Kakuzu's transformation and felt Kakuzu's chakra increase, "He didn't just transform, that's a lot of chakra!"

"He's preparing for Naruto's jutsu," Kakashi murmured.

Naruto made a hand sign, _Shadow Clone Jutsu!_ He created three clones and two out of the three assisted Naruto in making the Rasen-Shuriken.

Kakuzu watched, _here we go…_

When the jutsu was ready, a clone dashed forward shouting, "Follow me!"

The three clones sprinted forward, while the real Naruto lagged a bit behind as he charged as well.

Kakuzu wasn't going to wait for the clones to come to him though. He leapt into the air, going further than any shinobi should have been able to.

"What a jump!" Choji shouted, amazed and horrified at the same time.

Kakuzu focused on the real Naruto who was holding the Rasen-Shuriken, _ignore the clones…they're just a distraction. Aim for the head and the rest comes down. Once I diffuse his jutsu I'm home free._ All the tendrils shot towards Naruto.

Ino shouted, "He's ready, just like I told you!"

Kakuzu's eyes widened in surprise as his tendrils struck slamming Naruto into the ground…but instead of a limp figure, a puff of smoke greeted Kakuzu's eyes, _what? Just a clone?_ He glanced behind him to see the real Naruto and the two remaining clones leaping at him, _he was in the crowd!_

Everyone's eyes widened in amazement as Naruto's jutsu hit Kakuzu as Naruto shouted triumphantly, "Gotcha!"

The jutsu was explosive…so to speak. The jutsu ripped away Kakuzu's tendrils and drove Kakuzu forward, tearing up the earth in the meanwhile, making an enormous crater in the ground. The others had to shield their eyes as wave upon wave of debris was flung at them.

Kakashi was the only one who managed to watch as Kakuzu was suspended in midair, being continuously hit by Naruto's jutsu, his masks crumbling away and falling to the earth, _the number of attacks is almost infinite. Even with my Sharingan I could follow it all…magnificent jutsu…_

Kakuzu fell to the ground and landed with a thud, and Naruto glanced up from his position on the ground, where he lay on his stomach, his own jutsu having thrown him backgrounds. He grinned, "Heh. Sweet. I did it…"

**The Black King**

Meanwhile, the stag that Sara had been stroking pulled away from her suddenly, staring into the woods, before it leapt away from her, its powerful hind legs driving it forward.

_I wonder what made it do that…_ she thought.

A few minutes later, Sara turned as a familiar voice said, "Found you!" Just as the stag reappeared, walking beside Shikamaru.

Sara grinned as Pakkun, Sakura, and Sai landed in front of her.

Shikamaru inquired of them, "Reinforcements?" He didn't allow them to answer though. "Well…you're a bit late."

"What?" Sakura exclaimed. "Shikamaru…you and Sara didn't take down an Akatsuki member on your own…did you?"

Sara held up her hands, "Don't look at me, it was all Shikamaru. I merely helped him with the setup before I left him to deal with the Akatsuki member. After all…this land," she gestured to the woods behind her, "Is sacred to Shikamaru's family, I can't remain on it without his permission."

"And I only gave you permission to help with the setup," Shikamaru said, smiling slightly.

Sakura and Sai's eyes widened in surprise and awe as they realized what Shikamaru and Sara had just told them. Shikamaru had taken down an Akatsuki member on his own. Sai said, "I didn't know you were that good."

Shikamaru put the lighter, which he had picked up, into his pouch as he said, "I had to. This time, I…I knew I just had to." The stag bowed its head solemnly, emphasizing Shikamaru's words.

Sakura noticed the lighter and her gaze filled with sympathy, "Of course."

Sara asked, "How are the others?"

"No idea," Sakura said, focusing on her. "We made a beeline here."

Sai said, 'Let's go join them."

"Good idea," Shikamaru said, patting the stag's shoulder. With a flick of its tail, the stag turned around and headed back into the woods.

Meanwhile, Choji held Naruto upright while Ino healed him, her hands on his back as she used her medical ninjutsu. "Those clones are only meant as a diversion," she scolded him. "Never thought you'd use them like that."

Choji laughed, "Not quite as dumb as you look, Naruto. Not in Shikamaru's league, but hey."

Naruto muttered, "Please don't compare me to Shikamaru…"

Tenzo beamed at Naruto, "I'm impressed. You pulled off that jutsu three times in a row. You could only do it twice during training."

Kakashi's attention was drawn to the crater as he heard a sound like rock shifting or being moved. He chose to ignore it for the time being though, gazing at his knuckleheaded student instead, _such confidence…and the wit to turn failure on its head and quickly plan his next move. Naruto has become strong. Truly strong. Jutsu that were beyond even the Fourth Hokage are well within his command. I guess it's time to pass the torch…he has surpassed me. Can you sense it? You are always before his eyes…inspiring him. You make him strong. You do know that…don't you Sasuke?_ Kakashi closed his eyes as he thought of his wayward student.

He was brought out of his thoughts as Tenzo called out, "Master Kakashi! Time to move?"

"Yeah," Kakashi said, turning towards Tenzo before he glanced down into the crater that Naruto's jutsu had created, focusing on Kakuzu's form.

Tenzo walked towards the others, "Okay, people. We're heading back to the Leaf Village."

Ino asked, "What about Kakashi-sensei?"

"He's cleaning up," Tenzo said vaguely.

In the crater, Kakashi approached Kakuzu. It was only when he was within a few millimeters of him that Kakuzu spoke, "Defeated…by a bunch of…brats."

"Well," Kakashi said. "You did fight the First Hokage. I guess I can't blame you for seeing us as kids. But it goes two ways. To our eyes, you're just an old geezer gone wrong. And here you are dying," he started up his Lightning Blade. "Hugging the earth like a worm." Kakuzu managed to move his head a bit so he could glare at Kakashi. "One by one…this new generation will catch up to you. And they will surpass you in the end." He struck Kakuzu with his Lightning Blade, finishing the Akatsuki member off.

Once the two teams returned to the Leaf Village they went straight to the Hokage's Mansion to report on their mission.

"Well done, people," Tsunade said, once they had explained how their mission had gone. "But it's not time to celebrate just yet…not when there are still more of the Akatsuki at large. Team Two," She glanced at Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, "I grant you leave, but…you'll still be on call if there are any emergencies." Her gaze turned to Kakashi and his squad, "Team Kakashi, I also grant you leave." She glanced at Sara, who caught her gaze and nodded ever so slightly. "You're all dismissed." Both teams filed out.

Later on, Shikamaru made his way towards the Leaf Village burial grounds where he found Kurenai gazing at Asuma's grave stone. "I see they're letting you out of the cage?" He asked, to get her attention. Kurenai turned and smiled at him as Shikamaru set Asuma's lighter on the stone.

Kurenai said quietly, "you lost your Shogi mate…you were Asuma's favorite…you must miss him too…"

Shikamaru smiled slightly, "He taught me a bunch of things…some more important than others. Shogi was one of them. If I said I didn't miss him, I'd be lying. But I'm not a kid anymore, and I'm expected to act my age. I can't do the self-pity thing." Kurenai scrutinized him, wondering where he was going with this conversation. "I…I used to complain about everything. Everything annoyed me back then. I made so many mistakes because of it. And every time, Asuma came to my rescue… He was an odd teacher… So elusive… So hard to figure out. But to me, he was still a terrific role model." Kurenai smiled at those words and absent-mindedly touched her stomach. Shikamaru turned away from Asuma's grave stone then to look at her, "And now it's my turn." He stood up, "When that baby arrives…It'll be my turn as guardian and master." He grinned, "I guess I've got some real growing up to do."

Kurenai smiled and said softly, "Thank you."

Later on in the day, Shikamaru was playing Shogi with his father. Shikamaru commented as he debated what his next move should be, "Dad, you're much better at this than Asuma." He moved one of his pieces.

"Climbing Silver, eh?" His father mused.

Shikamaru smiled, "Well, you know when defending the black king against a stronger opponent sacrifice is unavoidable."

His father said, pointing at the pieces on the board, "Look, if you retreat that way, my knight can barrel right up here. And no matter which of m gold generals gets away, your bishop will enter and be promoted… Boy, that's one devious knight you've got there."

Shikamaru continued to smile, "If the Leaf Village's shinobi were Shogi pieces that would be me."

"What're you talking about?" His father questioned.

Shikamaru answered, "It's something Asuma once said."

His father gazed at him in confusion at first before he said, moving one of his pieces, "Did he…I guess he knew you inside out."

"That he did." Shikamaru moved one of his pieces.

His father grinned, "So who's the black king."

"The children who will carry the Leaf Village on their shoulders. They're the black king," Shikamaru answered.

His father's grin widened, "You do get it, don't you. And…checkmate."

Shikamaru gazed in disbelief at the board, "Ah!"

His father laughed, "You're not yet strong enough to protect the black king! You need to work harder!" Shikamaru moaned in response.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade stood gazing out of her window when a voice said behind her, "You wanted to see me, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade turned her head slightly to gaze at the young kunoichi, "I wanted to tell you that I have the perfect mission for you and your squad…I want you all here tomorrow to get briefed on your mission, understood?"

Sara nodded, "Yes, Lady Tsunade."

_Thank you all for being so patient, sadly the wait for Part 6 now begins! Mwahahahaha!_


	6. Part 6

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

_**Recap: Asuma has been avenged through the defeat of the two Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu; however, new challenges still await the Leaf Village shinobi, particularly our bright eyed friend…**_

**Trial Mission**

"Awk!" Naruto exclaimed as he slopped ramen on himself, "Hot, hot!" He cringed as he sloshed still more on his injured, right arm (which was in a cast and sling), "Gah! I just can't eat left-handed!"

Sakura glanced at his right arm, remembering what had occurred when she had been fixing up his arm…

_**Sakura scolded Naruto as she used her medical ninjutsu to heal his arm, **__"You must've broken half the bones in your body! It's not made for this kind of strain! This new jutsu of yours is only meant as a last resort! Just promise me you'll think before using it again!"_

_**Naruto grinned, **__"Hey, it's no big deal so long as I've got you around to fix me."_

_"That's not the point!" __**Sakura snapped. **__"There are limits to what I can patch up! Medical ninjutsu is a science, not a miracle cure!"_

_**Naruto continued to grin, though he humored Sakura by looking serious for a second, before he went back to grinning, **__"Yeah, still…I like things the way they are now because, Sakura, it feels like we're on the road to reach Sasuke together."_

_**This left Sakura shocked, but in a pleasant way…**_

Sakura scooted closer to Naruto, who was still sulking over the fact that he couldn't eat his ramen properly, "You're hopeless. Give me your chopsticks."

Naruto was surprised, _am I dreaming? She's not going to…feed me…is she?_

"Now say, ah…!" Sai said, grabbing Naruto's chopsticks and getting some ramen noodles.

"HOT!" Naruto shouted, before he turned angrily towards Sai, "It's too hot! And who asked you for your help?"

"Hey!" Kakashi said, pushing the flap aside as he entered the Ichiraku booth, he took in the scene before him.

"A friend indeed is a friend indeed," Sai recited. "Or that's what the book says."

Naruto snapped, "How about you take your head out of your book and think for yourself! Man!"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said, turning away from the arguing boys to greet Kakashi.

Kakashi asked, "What's all the commotion?"

Sakura, being the spectacular friend that she was, explained to Kakashi what had happened. So, Kakashi fixed the situation: neither Sakura nor Sai got to feed their friend, instead, Kakashi took up the task.

Naruto sulked as he chewed, _grrr! And I get Kakashi-sensei!_

"Kakashi-sensei, how are you even out of bed?" Sakura asked, recalling how beaten up he had been after their last mission.

Kakashi turned towards her, "Why does everyone keep asking that?" He snorted in disgust, "I didn't even use my Mangekyo Sharingan this time. But if you hadn't shown up when you did…I would have had no choice." He looked a bit embarrassed as he added, "And then I WOULD be in bed right now…in the hospital!"

Naruto looked subdued after Kakashi said this, so Kakashi tried to perk him up a bit, "You're strong, Naruto. You may even surpass me." All of them glanced at him, "Thing is, the more profound the jutsu, the riskier it is to wield. Just remember that."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered. He decided to change the subject, "Hey! Where's Bright Eyes?"

Sai nodded in agreement to this question, "Yes. Where is she? Isn't this one of those conversations where her sarcastic humor is needed?" They all stared at him like he'd grown another head, "A book said…never mind!"

Kakashi decided to let that drop, "Tsunade apparently sent her on a mission of some sort."

"I hope she let that shoulder rest a bit before she went out," Sakura muttered darkly. "When it comes to injuries she's not exactly the most careful…"

Kakashi smiled, "As long as whoever's she's teamed with isn't in danger, she'll take it easy."

Meanwhile, hidden in various spots around a ventilation shaft that was halfway disguised as a stump, Sara, Kenshin, and Ryo were having a silent argument.

Kenshin thought in frustration, _"All we've heard is that old snake hacking and wheezing! We can take him!"_

_"And I've told you at least a thousand times," _Sara thought angrily. _"That we're not going into that snake hole! Orochimaru may be weak, but Sasuke and Kabuto are not!"_

Kenshin glared at her, but Ryo ended the conversation, _"Look. Sara knows these guys better than we do. Just drop it, Kenshin. Your arguing is starting to annoy me."_

_"This coming from one of the laziest ninja," _Kenshin thought, though his tone was no longer frustrated. _"I hate these kinds of missions…"_

_"These are my favorite type," _Ryo grinned across at Sara and Kenshin from his hiding spot, a bush only a few feet away from the ventilation shaft. _"Very little action, just a lot of watching," _he thought contentedly.

_"Let's hope the intelligence we gather within the next few days is enough to appease Lady Tsunade," _Sara thought, excitement in her thoughts.

It was infectious. Kenshin couldn't help grinning then, though no one could see it since he was farthest from the hole, perched up in a tree to make sure no one came near either Ryo or Sara's hiding spots. _"Yeah, it would be great if we could remain a squad…even if we do have to listen to a hot tempered jônin."_

_"Who's hot tempered?" _Sara thought.

Kenshin quickly thought, _"Certainly not you!"_

Sara rolled her eyes. The closest to the shaft, only a few inches away, and hiding inside of a log; normally not an ideal hiding spot for a shinobi, but since she could teleport so fast, it was perfect. She could hear most of the conversations or sounds from the shaft and identify who (or possibly what they) belonged to. So far, all she, Ryo, and even Kenshin had heard was Orochimaru's hacking.

Still listening to the sounds coming from the ventilation shaft, Sara couldn't help remembering what Tsunade had told her about the mission the other day…

_**Tsunade stood facing the window that looked out over the village, **__"Sara…this mission I'm giving you could prove to be very important to…dealing…with Sasuke…possibly even getting rid of the Akatsuki."_

_"What's the mission?"_ _**Sara asked.**_

_**Tsunade smiled, **__"It's time your squad got put to use." __**Sara grinned. **__"I need you and your squad to follow Orochimaru and Sasuke's movements. However, I don't want any of you to be seen. You are merely gathering intelligence. Consider this a trial mission for you and your squad. If all goes well, I will let you three remain a squad, if not…well that just means my idea didn't work as I had planned."_

_"Yes, Lady Tsunade," __**Sara said.**_

_**Tsunade smiled, before she waved a hand, dismissing her, **__"Now, go get your squad and head out immediately."_

A voice spoke, coming up through the ventilation shaft, bringing Sara out of her thoughts, she focused on the voice as it said, "Your body has reached its breaking point."

_"Kabuto," _Sara silently informed Kenshin and Ryo.

Kabuto continued to speak, "If you don't take the level ten medicine, there's not much more I can do for you." There was no response from Orochimaru. "I'll go get the medicine." Still no response from Orochimaru, but a door opened with a squeak. "I'll be right back," Kabuto said.

Orochimaru started to laugh then, and the Leaf ninja were a bit unnerved as they listened to it, but it soon subsided into hacking.

The squad tensed as they heard something break through a wall, and a sound like electricity.

Orochimaru called out, "Who's there?"

A crash sounded, and Sara and Ryo exchanged a quick glance. Ryo nodded and pulled out some shuriken, just in case either Orochimaru, or whoever had apparently destroyed a wall, decided that their fight couldn't be limited to a room. Ryo focused on the shaft, tensed and ready to throw the shuriken at a moment's notice. Lazy by nature, Ryo was still a deadly ninja when he wanted to be.

Kenshin was ready as well, ready with some smoke bombs if the enemy needed to be distracted.

Orochimaru's voice rose out of the shaft, "I knew you'd come for me."

Another voice rose out of the shaft, "There's no more you have to teach me." Sara tensed, recognizing her cousin's voice, "I can be merciless…even to you!"

**The Snake…**

Unaware of the three Leaf shinobi listening in on all that was going on in the room, Sasuke had shaped the Chidori into a blade, pinning Orochimaru in place by piercing through both his wrists and pinning him to the wall.

Sasuke could feel the curse mark working, giving him more power as it covered half of his body, "Orochimaru. I'm stronger than you." Orochimaru glared at him, "So at this point, I really don't see a reason to hand over my body to you."

"A bold statement from a nursling Uchiha," Orochimaru grunted.

Sasuke laughed, "Of course, it had to be the nursling. That's the only Uchiha you could handle. Itachi was out of the question, and that left you two options: the baby with the Sharingan or the half-breed with the Devil's Eyes, and you coveted the Sharingan, so you went after the baby."

Sara, Ryo, and Kenshin all shared the same, silent thought after Sasuke said the words, "half-breed", _how did he hear about that?_

The three shinobi were so shocked that they missed a bit of the conversation, as Sasuke continued speaking, "…and they say you're one of the three great shinobi?" Orochimaru's glare became even more intense, "It turns out you're just a run-of-the-mill ninja. You're not even in the same league as Uchiha…and you know that, don't you. Before Uchiha, mild brilliance such as yours becomes actually rather ordinary. Filling yourself up with medicines, leaping from body to body…and the way you covet the power of Uchiha…it's revolting. As an Uchiha, all I see is a miserable wretch. And anyway, I don't like your style. I mean, what are you after? Unlocking the mysteries of nature? You keep toying with people, all for this vain and frankly stupid cause of yours." Sasuke remembered how his brother had killed his own clan simply because he wanted to test his power.

"You disgust me," Sasuke murmured as he charged forward, pushing the Chidori blade further into the wall behind Orochimaru, as he advanced, unsheathing Kusanagi. Pulling back his right arm, he thrust his arm forward to stab Orochimaru.

Opening his mouth wider than should have been possible; something white shot out of his mouth, Sasuke only seeing the tail of whatever had emerged from Orochimaru's mouth.

Sasuke turned around completely, "The giant white-scaled snake. Never would have recognized you." He stopped his Chidori blade and pulled Kusanagi out from Orochimaru's limp body.

Meanwhile, above them, Ryo mouthed to Sara, "Giant white what?"

"Snake," Sara mouthed back, thinking, _I'm sick of snakes…_

_"I still say we go in and get a better view," _Kenshin thought, eager to see the fight.

Sara shot a glare towards his tree, _"One thing I've learned about snakes…it's best to stay out of their holes…because you never know when the hole will widen, or how many snakes may be in them."_

Kenshin kept his thoughts to himself, though he sulked up in the tree.

Sasuke stared up at the white snake that was Orochimaru, "To change bodies you experimented endlessly. And this is what you've become."

Orochimaru hissed, "Now…Sasuke…you are mine…" He reared back and struck at Sasuke, "GIVE ME YOUR BODY!"

Sasuke leapt into the air, allowing Orochimaru to "eat dirt". What had originally appeared to be scales, turned out to be more white snakes, two of them lunging at Sasuke with mouths agape. Sasuke spun in midair, sword drawn, slicing off the snakes' heads. Orochimaru hissed in pain before more of the snakes on his body swarmed towards Sasuke.

Unfazed by the swarm of snakes coming towards him, Sasuke sheathed Kusanagi, and started to undo his shirt, throwing it off as the snakes drew closer and closer. As the snakes coiled around him, his curse mark began to spread, his skin getting darker, his hair becoming lighter. He said as the snakes coiled around his head, "A snake that crawled on the earth dreamt of soaring through the sky knowing full well it was impossible. Still, hoping beyond hope, it kept its eye on a baby bird that it nurtured in its own nest…" The snakes had completely coiled around him, "Little realizing that actually…" The snakes were sliced to pieces much to Orochimaru's disbelief, "The snake is prey, because that bird is a hawk ready to take to the sky!"

"SASUKEEE!" Orochimaru hissed in rage, lunging at Sasuke.

**The Ritual…!**

Sara and Ryo strained their ears for any sound, but all was quiet below the ground. They had heard Orochimaru hiss in rage and then nothing.

Below the ground, Sasuke stood over Orochimaru's form, the giant, white snake sliced into three different parts. Sasuke's curse mark started to recede, "So that's it? That was disappointing."

Sasuke suddenly went to his knees with a grunt, noticing for the first time (courtesy of his Sharingan) that there was a vapor rising from the pools of blood surrounding Orochimaru.

Orochimaru wasn't dead yet, either. The white snake rose off the ground, "It's about time it took effect. The bodily fluids of the great serpent will evaporate the moment they're exposed to the air. They have…a numbing effect." He opened his jaws wide, "I am immortal. You cannot kill me." He laughed, "Now…let me take you…" He struck and Sasuke was poised to fight with his Sharingan at the ready.

Sasuke was taken off guard, though; as he stood on a writhing mass of white, flesh like things. "What is this place?" Sasuke wondered aloud.

Something, that could loosely be called a human figure, started to rise out of the white mass, "This is the universe inside of me. This is where the transference ritual takes place." Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in astonishment, "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke glanced at himself as he felt the writhing mass, which had now taken the form of snakes, wrap around him, and some even, sprang from his own body. He glanced from side to side and was startled to see that there were other people near him there faces the only visible part of them, the rest of their bodies was encased in the white mass.

Orochimaru gazed hungrily at Sasuke as the white mass completely encircled Sasuke, leaving his face visible. Sasuke turned back to face Orochimaru, an unreadable look in his eyes.

Orochimaru started to laugh, "Those eyes…they're finally mine!"

Back above ground, Sara and Ryo were, once again, straining to hear any sounds from below. They had heard Sasuke talk and then they had heard Orochimaru, but now…all was quiet once again. Neither of them heard anything for quite awhile.

Sara was the first one to hear anything; the faint sound of someone getting into a quick hiding position that normally, one would not be able to hear, but thanks to the underground cave, every sound was amplified.

Back underground, Kabuto warily glanced around the door frame that led into Orochimaru's chambers. He had been walking there to give Orochimaru his medicine when he had seen a massive puddle of blood, which put him, automatically, on guard.

He took in the scene quickly, noting the blood that was everywhere, the giant, white snake skin lying on the ground, and Sasuke standing, apparently unscathed.

_The giant snake has shed its skin…_ Kabuto thought. _So…has the ritual already taken place?_ He stood up, _what's going on?_

Sasuke turned when he heard movement near the doorway. "Kabuto," he said in greeting.

Kabuto walked a few inches into the room, but he didn't go any further, wary of Sasuke…or possibly Orochimaru.

Sasuke silently started to leave the room, and had started down the hallway when Kabuto finally asked, "Which…which one are you?"

This caught Sasuke's attention, his eyes their normal black.

**The Detour**

Sasuke turned to face Kabuto, "Which do you think?" He activated his Sharingan and took Kabuto into the scene of the ritual.

Kabuto glanced around warily, until he caught sight of two figures that were covered in the white, writhing mass, _it's the ritual…_

Orochimaru was reaching for Sasuke, but paused when Sasuke activated his curse mark, the mark, glowing crimson. The mark didn't limit itself to just Sasuke. Instead, it started to spread through the white mass, changing it to red, and the snakes changed a bit, becoming more fearsome in appearance. The crimson continued to spread and spread, and the crimson mass unwound itself from Sasuke, poised behind him to strike.

"No…no!" Orochimaru shrieked, "This is my universe! I created it! This can't happen!" He was furious, "It can't! It's impossible! This is my own space!"

"Orochimaru," Sasuke said. "My eyes can see through all your jutsu…surely you must know already…"

Kabuto watched in horror, _how…how frightful…Sasuke's will is…eroding Orochimaru's very inner being._

Orochimaru was now held in place by the writhing, crimson mass, and was helpless as one of the massive, crimson snakes behind Sasuke moved towards him, mouth agape.

"No!" Orochimaru wailed. "This can't…this can't be happening! I am Orochimaru. I am immortal! I will not die here! I…I am the one who..will unlock the mysteries of mature! I am the…one who will receive…everything!"

Kabuto was thrown back into reality and he murmured, "Lord Orochimaru…is dead." Sasuke remained silent. "No…no it's more…" Kabuto stared at Sasuke in fear.

Sasuke grinned cockily, "I absorbed him. That's all." With that said, he turned away from the startled Kabuto, and walked down the hall.

Sara and Ryo stared at each other in shock and horror, they both relayed to an anxious Kenshin, _"Sasuke…absorbed Orochimaru…!"_

_"That's the same as dead…isn't it?"_ Kenshin questioned.

Sara shrugged, so Ryo guessed, _"I would think its worse then death..."_

_"We need to relay this information to our contact,"_ Sara informed them, slicing her thumb. She made several hand signs, before she struck the ground with her hand, _Summoning Jutsu!_ When the smoke cleared, her liver-spotted Dalmatian, Two-Tone, took in his surroundings before he nodded solemnly.

Sara quickly wrote on a scroll and tied it to Two-Tone's neck, hiding it beneath his headband. She whispered in his left ear, "Find F.T." Two-Tone nodded before he started to walk off. Once he was a good distance away from the ventilation shaft, he took off at a run.

Kenshin silently asked, _"Why didn't you use the Irish Wolfhound or that Great Dane? I thought you said the Great Dane would be the best at finding our contact?"_

_"She is," _Sara agreed. _"But I don't want to use her just yet, nor do I want to use Lucky just yet either. We'll save them for more…delicate information… Right now…we need to find another ventilation shaft…!"_

Back in the Hidden Leaf Village at the Ichiraku ramen shop, Naruto looked upset as he was lost in his own thoughts. Kakashi noticed Naruto's look, and he sighed, remembering what Tsunade had told him as he, Tsunade, and Tenzo had stood around Kakuzu's body within the basement of the hospital.

_"His chakra network has been completely severed," __**Tsunade informed them. **__"It's hard to imagine. But it is so._

_"Wind Style Rasen-Shuriken…how very thorough," __**Kakashi murmured.**_

_**Tsunade glanced at Kakashi, **__"The effect is more like a poison than physical trauma. It damages on a cellular level. As attacks go, it's incredibly minute. I believe it shapes the wind chakra into an armada of tiny swords and systematically attacks every cell in the body."_

_"That's some jutsu," __**Tenzo commented.**_

_**Kakashi looked thoughtful, **__"Poison indeed. I supposed then, it would be more practical to speak in terms of concentration rather than in number of attacks?"_

_**Tsunade was silent.**_

_**After a few minutes, Tenzo broke the silence, **__"So…how's Naruto?"_

_**Tsunade sighed, **__"There's our real problem."_

_"Figured as much," __**Tenzo muttered while Kakashi merely waited for Tsunade to say more, not allowing his worry to show through.**_

_**Tsunade looked him square in the eye, **__"Kakashi…don't allow Naruto to use the Rasen-Shuriken ever again."_

_**This surprised both Kakashi and Tenzo, but Tenzo was the first to speak, **__"That bad, huh?"_

_"I saw those same symptoms in Naruto's right hand," __**Tsunade stated, her gaze serious. **__"Not as severe, granted, but the same. If Naruto continues to use the jutsu, then before long…he'll altogether lose his ability to wield chakra…"_

_**Tenzo sighed, **__"It's a powerful jutsu…it comes with a risk…"_

_**Tsunade nodded, **__"Once a cell of the body is cut off from its Keirakukei, it's beyond my ability to heal. Even with my medical ninjutsu… Be sure that Naruto understands this fact implicitly."_

Kakashi turned so that he could face Naruto, "Naruto…about that new jutsu…"

"Sensei," Naruto said, starting to grin. "I know how I feel…way better than anyone else does!" He was truly grinning now, "Remember, I'm gonna be Hokage! That's how incredible I am! So don't worry!"

Sakura put her hand to her head, feeling a headache coming on, but she smiled at Naruto's statement.

Sai even managed a small smile at Naruto's words.

Kakashi merely remained silent, unsure if Naruto really understood what he had been about to say.

"Thanks for the food!" Naruto called to Mr. Teuchi. He started to head out, "It's on Kakashi-sensei's tab!" He took off at a run, laughing.

Kakashi sighed, pulling out his wallet; _I'll let him get away with that just this once…_

Back at Orochimaru's lair, Sara had summoned Alpine and Streak who were listening for any sound of Sasuke's voice or an out of the ordinary sound.

Alpine froze suddenly, and Sara, Kenshin, and Ryo were all watching the Great Dane before Alpine started to lead the way towards another ventilation shaft, this one disguised as a rock, although the top, back half of it was missing. They could hear the sound of water trickling.

Sara frowned, "It's just water…" She broke off as she heard an unfamiliar voice.

"I'm free…at last…my regards, Sasuke," the voice said.

Sara signaled for her dogs to hide, and they hid behind separate bushes, the thick branches hiding their white fur. Kenshin, Sara, and Ryo each moved to random hiding spots, each straining to hear what else was going on.

Down below, Sasuke said, looking at the head and torso of a boy that was coming out of the puddle of water, "Suigetsu…you are my first. Come with me."

The boy, his hair a very light grey, almost white, was taking his sweet, old time getting out of the water, "I'm the first? Who else then?"

"Two more," Sasuke answered. "I'm taking Jugo of Northern hideout and Karin of the Southern."

"You serious?" the boy questioned, pulling himself completely out of the puddle.

"Why?" Sasuke inquired.

The boy was now crouched, naked, in front of Sasuke, and he looked up at him his lilac colored eyes, and grinning, revealing shark-like teeth, "Well…I'm not particularly fond of them. Just don't think we'd get along is all."

"You don't need to be friends. Just cooperate," Sasuke explained.

"If that's what you want, I've no objections," Suigetsu said. "Still, Sasuke, I can't believe you'd go for them."

"Just shut up and get dressed. We're going," Sasuke snapped.

Suigetsu laughed, "Oh dead. The way you talk."

Sasuke turned his gaze to glance behind him as Suigetsu put his index finger to Sasuke's head, his thumb in the air, like a gun's trigger, "First, let's clarify our relationship, shall we?" Sasuke remained silent, unfazed by this show of force, "You may have defeated Orochimaru, but that alone doesn't make you my leader. We were all aiming for it. Sooner or later, someone was bound to kill him. You were his favorite. He let you stay by his side while the rest of us slept in cages. You had all the advantage you needed."

Sasuke was still unfazed, "Your point is?"

"Look at us two right now, I have the advantage," Suigetsu explained. Sasuke was still unfazed. Suigetsu moved his hand away from Sasuke's head, "Forget it. Just testing. That was a pretty tight spot I put in, and you didn't even blink. So it wasn't luck, then. That's reassuring. I've heard how strong you are. It was your platoon, wasn't it, that took down my predecessor, Zabuza Momochi?" Sasuke didn't answer him. "Sure, I'll come with you. But before we go and fetch the others…there's a place I want to swing by."

Sara's brain started to work furiously, trying to figure out where Sasuke and his new companion, Suigetsu could possibly detour to, _we can assume this new addition is weaponless so where would he want to go to get a weapon? He said Zabuza was his predecessor…got it! _She signaled to Kenshin and Ryo that they would be moving out right away.

Back in the Leaf Village, Konohamaru stood waiting outside the Ichiraku Ramen shop, waiting for Naruto to emerge.

Naruto had started to run, since he had just left Kakashi with the bill, when he spotted Konohamaru and his clone. He grinned, "So you can make Shadow Clones now?"

Kakashi, Sai, and Sakura emerged from the shop as well, "What?" Sakura asked. "What's going on?"

Naruto was excited now, "All right. Come show me how you've been training. C'mon!"

Konohamaru made a hand sign, "Okay, Naruto…Here goes!" With a puff of smoke, he and his clone had transformed into two naked girls that looked a lot like Sakura and Ino, "Art of Onna-nokotachi!"

Naruto's eyes practically popped out of his head, "That's your new move?"

Sakura was appalled, while Kakashi and Sai really didn't know what to think.

Konohamaru released the jutsu, not noticing that Sakura was stomping towards him, "What do you think of that, Naruto? You see with TWO girls, it's even…"

Sakura punched him in the chest, forcing Konohamaru to release his clone, "Say no more!" She shouted at Naruto, "Is THIS what you guys do when you get together? Is it?"

Naruto was now embarrassed, "Err…it's a form of diversion, see…and this is a, err, serious project between us two…I mean…competiton…"

Sakura glared down at Konohamaru, who returned her glare, "Well, don't put yourselves out! C'mon! Distract the enemy? The only ones you'll be distracting are yourselves!"

Konohamaru made a hand sign and two naked boys that looked quite a bit like Sasuke and Sai appeared with a puff of smoke.

Sakura's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, "Aaaahh! What's up with that?"

Now it was Naruto and Kakashi's turns to be appalled. Sai was more surprised as he commented, "That's…me…and Sasuke?"

Sakura was now embarrassed, "Oop!"

Naruto punched Konohamaru on the head, "So maybe that IS too much messing around…"

"Y-yeah!" Sakura said, putting on quite a bit of bravado, "Okay, time to lay off the new fantasy jutsu, all right? Why don't you work on something more practical and real than that…"

All of the guys were now giving her weird looks, Kakashi and Konohamaru included. Sakura realized her mistake, "Oh…wait! I didn't mean… N, that's not really, I didn't mean that I…"

Konohamaru grinned and said to himself, "I knew it…!"

Meanwhile, in the Land of Waves, Sasuke glanced up at the bridge, convinced he had seen a flash of white on the top part of the name board of the bridge, he shook his head, _the clouds are starting to look like Great Danes…_ He then focused on the name of the bridge: The Great Naruto Bridge.

Suigetsu asked as he finished taking a drink of water from his canteen, "What's up, Sasuke?" Sasuke remained silent for a second before he snorted. "Sasuke?"

"It's nothing," Sasuke finally said. "C'mon."

Meanwhile, perched behind the name board, Sara and Alpine had pinned Streak, who had poked his head over the sign when he had heard someone approaching the bridge. Poor Streak was bewildered as to what he had done wrong to deserve such treatment.

Kenshin and Ryo followed Suigetsu and Sasuke, staying well hidden as they followed the pair once they reached the other side of the bridge.

Sasuke nodded at a sword that was behind one of two grave markers, "There, Suigetsu."

Suigetsu approached the sword, "Never thought I'd find this here." He gripped the hilt of the blade, "Sorry, Master Zabuza. This is mine now." He yanked the massive blade out of the ground. Suigetsu grunted as he held the blade up, "Pretty heavy… This is the Executioner's Blade, the sword of the Demon Zabuza from the Village of Bloody Mist.

Sasuke questioned, "You sure you're strong enough to handle it?"

"The weapon of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen has been handed down generation to generation. It's the tradition. And…all these years I've trained, I've done it only out of reverence for the seven ninja," Suigetsu answered cryptically. "So long as I have this sword, not even you can touch me…maybe." He started to form a makeshift sling for the sword, "Besides, if you got to have Jugo…this sword will definitely come in handy." Sasuke smirked. "Okay, Sasuke. From here, let's shoot for whichever hideout is closer," Suigetsu put slung the sword's strap over his right shoulder so that it went across his chest diagonally.

Kenshin silently called out to Sara, _"Hey! We're going to have to move out…I have no idea which hideout they're heading to though…"_

_"That's all right," _Sara answered, moving towards them as she teleported into the small woods they were hiding in. _"We'll follow them somehow…"_

Ryo didn't sound optimistic as he watched Sasuke and Suigetsu head towards the ocean, _"How are we going t follow them across the water?"_

_"We'll figure it out," _Sara said, grinning as she approached them, sending her two Great Danes back to their kennel back in the Leaf Village.

Ryo had a feeling he wouldn't like whatever plan she had come up with for following Sasuke and Suigetsu.

**The Warden of the Southern Hideout**

Ryo swam through the water easily, glaring at the sea lion that kept breaching the water every now and then, _"I hate you, Sara, I really do! Why did we have to transform into sea creatures?"_

_"By all means, release your transformation jutsu, let's see how long you can remain undetected on the open sea!"_ Sara said sarcastically as she came back under with a flourish of her flippers.

Ryo continued to swim, his large, swordfish body cutting through the water with ease.

Something shot forward to his right, a Mako shark, Kenshin, and he could easily hear his thoughts, _"If my cat attacks me because I smell like fish, Sara, I blame you!"_

The sea lion, Sara, merely grinned comically at them, before swimming to the surface, poking her head out of the water to see if their targets were still in sight, they were, so she took a breath and went back under.

Meanwhile, walking on top of the waves, Suigetsu said to Sasuke, "I have to ask."

"Yeah?" Sasuke murmured.

"Why are you dragging a team together?" Suigetsu asked.

"I have a goal," Sasuke answered. "And a small team will let me reach that goal faster."

"Okay…" Suigetsu said, knowing full well that Sasuke hadn't really answered his question. "So why me?"

"Ever since I met Orochimaru, I've been preparing for this. I always take note of shinobi who catch my eye," Sasuke answered.

Suigetsu smirked, "Well, if that's your game, you could do better than Karin. Unlike me, she's a true believer." His expression became unreadable, "She used me for experiments. She irritates me."

"Sure. There are plenty of other shinobi just as strong yet far easier to handle," Sasuke said. "But she has a special ability…one that no one else possess."

"True, I can't deny that," Suigetsu glanced back, squinting.

Sasuke glanced back as well, "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just a curious sea lion," Suigetsu said, pointing out the sea lion that had poked its head above the water. "I guess it doesn't see two shinobi walking on the water every day," he grinned mischieviously, "Shall I teach it to be more wary?"

"It's just an animal," Sasuke said, watching the sea lion leap into the air to catch a fish that had leapt out of the water, before it dove underwater.

Underwater, _"Spit me out now!" _Kenshin demanded, since he had transformed into a smaller fish so Sara could appear to be a real sea lion. Sara spat him out, and he transformed back into a Mako shark, _"You owe me big time!"_

_"Right, you can remind me later," _Sara answered, slowing down to a slow swim.

_"Why are we slowing down?" _Ryo inquired, adding quickly, _"Not that I'm complaining!"_

_"They were heading directly towards a small island,"_ Sara answered. _"No need to waste energy when they'll be leaving the island again anyway."_

On the island, inside a rock fortress, Sasuke and Suigetsu walked down a hall that was lined with cells filled with prisoners. One of them asked the others as Sasuke walked past, "Isn't that Sasuke Uchiha?"

Another wondered, "Why is he here?"

"Wait…Sasuke here alone…without Orochimaru?" Another said. "Maybe it wasn't just a rumor?"

Another exclaimed, "It must be true! He killed Orochimaru! And he's come to set us free!"

"Listen to yourself," yet another scoffed. "Don't be an idiot. Orochimaru can't be defeated."

Sasuke and Suigetsu paid them no attention, only stopping when a girl with medium length, bright red hair, a purple jacket, black shorts, and black leggings blocked their path. "I knew it was you two," she said, her right hand on her hip. "Sasuke. Without a chaperone I see. So it wasn't just a rumor, was it."

"Hey, what am I, a hunk of meat?" Suigetsu muttered.

She asked, "All right, what do you want?"

Suigetsu answered, "Sasuke wants to talk to you. Show us to a room where we can sit down and chat. I'm bushed. Not used to walking so far." Karin merely snorted in response to Suigetsu's statement.

"Karin, join me," Sasuke said. "I need you."

This threw Karin off guard, "You whah? Why on Earth should I listen to you? I'm in charge here!"

Eventually, Sasuke managed to convince her to lead them to a room where they could talk more privately.

"Orochimaru is gone," Sasuke stated.

Karin argued, "I've got responsibilities here! What about the prisoners?"

Sasuke glanced at his first traveling companion, "Suigetsu, go and liberate every prisoner in the compound."

"Wha…!" Karin exclaimed weakly.

Suigetsu chuckled, "You and that commanding tone of voice…" He stood up.

"Don't you dare!" Karin shouted.

"There's no more need for a warden," Sasuke stated. "You don't have to stick around. What do you say?"

Karin glanced at Suigetsu, who was pushing open the door, "I say no thanks! I have no reason to join you!"

Sasuke didn't say anything right away. After a few seconds of silence he said, "Fine. If you're not interested, I'll go find someone else."

Suigetsu left the room, closing the door behind him as he headed towards the prison cells, and he squatted in front of the each cell door to explain to them that Orochimaru really was gone.

One prisoner still asked, even after Suigetsu had explained this, "Sasuke Uchiha did kill Orochimaru?"

"You got it," Suigetsu affirmed.

"Then what happens to us?" The prisoner asked.

Suigetsu grinned, "You go free, of course."

"What?" The shocked cry was taken up by all the prisoners, "You mean it?"

"Sure," Suigetsu reassured them. "You don't see me locked up, do you? I'll open the door. But before I do, I have one favor to ask of all of you."

"Fine by me!" One prisoner said eagerly.

Another agreed, "We'll do whatever you want!"

Suigetsu's grin broadened, "Remember that it's Sasuke who defeated Orochimaru and freed us all. When you're out, I want you to spread the word. Tell everyone you meet, 'A man is now among us who will bring stability and peace.' You got that?" He chuckled as he unlocked the door.

By now, Karin had backed up against the door and locked it, and her tone changed to one filled with sickly, sweetness, "Okay, I'll come. " Sasuke was perplexed by this sudden change in Karin's behavior, while Karin pulled off her glasses and sat on the couch next to Sasuke, "If you really want me to, Sasuke…I will follow you." She was blushing slightly as she blinked at him flirtatiously.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked warily, "Are you always this impulsive?"

"No," Karin said, scooting closer to him. "I've put a lot of thought into this. You're right. I'm fed up with guarding this place anyway."

Meanwhile, Suigetsu tried to get back into the room and found the door locked, "Uh-oh…that hell cat locked me out…"

Karin heard the doorknob giggle and decide to advance closer to Sasuke, who said, "Hey, get back."

"Listen…" Karin's voice was dripping with sweetness. "Why don't we do this alone? Just the two of us? Suigetsu won't do anything for you…not really."

Karin turned as she heard two slices of a sword striking wood, seconds before the door collapsed, causing her to quickly scoot away from Sasuke.

Suigetsu walked in, planting his sword into the floor and leaning against it, his left arm grotesquely more muscled than the other, "C'mon, Sasuke. Let's go. I take it Karin is staying here?"

"Actually," Sasuke said. "Looks like she's coming after all."

Karin had her glasses back on her face as she blustered, "Where did you get that idea? I…I just happen to be going the same way…along the same road…urm!" Sasuke was, once again, baffled by her sudden mood swing.

"Oh yeah?" Suigetsu mused. "That works out okay. We can go halfway then."

"Sure. Fine. Halfway," Karin snapped.

Suigetsu allowed his left arm to shrink back to its normal size, "Now…for Jugo."

"Whaat?" Karin shouted. "You're not throwing him in?"

Suigetsu asked, "Does it matter? It's not like you're joining us anyway."

"Well…wait," Karin said, becoming furious. "YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME? C'MON THEN!"

"Let's go," Sasuke said, leading the way out of the room and into the corridor.

Karin paused as she entered the hallway, looking distracted. Sasuke asked, "What is it?"

"There are three chakras still in the general area…none of which belong to any of the prisoners that I have guarded," Karin answered.

Sasuke's gaze became livid as he motioned for Suigetsu and Karin to stay put as he made his way outside the fortress.

His gaze scoured the waves, and he activated his Sharingan, spotting a sea lion that was not one, _Damn you, Sara!_ He activated his curse mark, and quickly wove some signs, _Let's see you handle this!_ He started to form a blade out of the Chidori.

Sara reacted faster then him, though, diving back under the water, releasing her transformation and grabbing the dorsal fins of her surprised comrades, teleporting out of there.

Sasuke glared at the waves, letting his jutsu fizzle out, _you got lucky…again… It's not like you to run from a fight though._ His glare intensified, _you had others with you…you were following my movements… That won't work now that Karin is with us, though, I'm sure you figured that out now. The ex-warden of the Southern Hideout is a sensory ninja…_

Meanwhile, Kenshin and Ryo flopped onto the wooden planks of a dock, while Sara stood on unsteady legs, swaying slightly, her shoulders slumped forward in fatigue.

Kenshin and Ryo both released their transformations, and while Ryo was watching Sara with concern, Kenshin was furious with the squad leader, "What the hell is wrong with you? A little warning would have been ni- Sara?" He now noticed that Sara definitely wasn't herself.

"Sara?" Ryo asked, concern in his voice as he stood up.

The young ninja didn't answer as she collapsed onto her knees before hitting the dock and lying motionless.

"Sara!" Kenshin and Ryo shouted, worried about their comrade as they rushed to her side.

**Options**

Kenshin and Ryo sat around a table along with Tazuna, his daughter, Tsunami, and his grandson, Inari.

"Idiot," Kenshin muttered, casting a glance where Sara was lying on the floor, "Teleporting halfway across an ocean…it's a wonder she didn't kill herself in the effort!"

"Wonder what made her believe that she had no other choice," Ryo cast another glance towards his comrade.

Tazuna said, "Whatever you three were up to, it must have been dangerous." He cast a glance at Sara, "I remember when she was just a ripe, young, inexperienced…"

"All right," Sara croaked from where she lay on the floor, "I think they get it."

"Sara!" They all exclaimed before they rushed into the room.

She sat up stiffly, gritting her teeth as pain coursed through her body.

"Take it easy," Ryo said, forcing her back down. "You used up a lot of chakra."

Kenshin asked, "What were you thinking? Teleporting us all so far!"

"He knew we were there and he was going to finish us off," Sara answered.

"We could have taken him," Kenshin grumbled.

Sara glared at him, "I've told you a thousand times, if not more, that our orders were not to engage!"

Inari asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Who were you following?" Tsunami questioned.

Sara shot her two teammates a meaningful look, before she answered, "A rogue ninja from our village."

Tazuna inquired, "Why aren't you with your regular squad?"

"I'm a jônin," Sara stated. "This is my own…special…squad."

Inari grinned, "I bet Naruto's a jônin as well!"

"Well…" Sara looked embarrassed, "He's definitely improved, but he's still, technically, a genin."

Tazuna laughed, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

Sara looked away, _it's not any fault of his…Naruto just hasn't had time to take any exam to advance his rank…if he did, he'd be at my level or above in no time._ "I hate to cut this visit short, but we really…"

Ryo cut her off, "We can't go anywhere, not until you've recovered."

"I'm fine," Sara said, sitting up quickly, and then flopping back down onto the mat she was on.

"Yeah, you're fine all right," Kenshin said, sarcastically. "To make matters worse, we have no way of reporting to Lady Hokage since you can't summon any of your canines."

Sara shot Kenshin a dark look, "We'll report to her as soon as possible." Kenshin heard the anger in her tone, and was smart enough to keep quiet.

Tsunami suddenly said, starting to shoo them all out, "Sara's going to need her rest, now out!"

A bewildered Kenshin and Ryo were shepherded out of the room right along with Tazuna and Inari.

Sighing, Sara was left to her own thoughts and how she and her squad could possibly keep tabs on Sasuke even while she was incapacitated. _I can't send Kenshin and Ryo to keep tabs on him…for all I know, the newest member of his "squad" is a sensory ninja, and that's how he knew we were there…or I was simply careless, which I'm willing to believe, remaining a sea lion was a risky decision._ Another thought struck her, _will my Devil's Eyes keep tabs on Sasuke just like they do with Kakashi and Shikamaru? It's worth a try…_ Activating her Devil's Eyes, Sara closed her eyes, sleep claiming her chakra exhausted body quickly.

In the kitchen, Kenshin and Ryo were talking, while Tazuna and his family listened to them in silence.

"I still say we should have fought him," Kenshin grumbled.

Ryo snapped, tired of hearing the same thing come out of Kenshin's mouth, "No one doubts that you aren't afraid of S…" He glanced at Tazuna and his family, remembering how Sara hadn't used Sasuke's name, "Him. But that's not the point. The point, is that he knew we were there, or at least, he knew Sara was there…how did he know? That's the question."

"Right," Kenshin grudgingly admitted. Ever since Ryo had been on the mission where Enaki had been killed, he'd noticed that Ryo and Sara had seemed, closer, for lack of a better word. He didn't mind though. They were all closer since that incident. "How could he have known that we were there?" Kenshin watched Ryo think, and he couldn't help smiling slightly, _Ryo may be the laziest ninja in the village, but he certainly inherited the Morinos' sharp minds…if only he used it more, like my cousin, Shikamaru…_ He shrugged slightly, and sighed, _Ryo will be Ryo…_

"Well…" Ryo finally said, after several seconds of silence. "Either her sea lion disguise was seen through or…" He didn't seem willing to say the other option.

"A sensory ninja," Kenshin stated, following his friend's thoughts.

Ryo nodded, "Both are likely, but I'd bet it was a sensory ninja was his newest recruit."

Tazuna interrupted the two shinobi, "Are you ever going to say who you were tailing?"

"That's on a need to know basis," Kenshin stated. Tazuna snorted angrily in response.

Inari grumbled, "Sara wouldn't keep the information from us." Kenshin and Ryo ignored these signs of discontent, moving to an entirely different subject of talk annoying Tazuna and Inari further.

Sara woke up, slightly annoyed, but not really disappointed, _it's good to know that Kakashi is doing just fine, but I really didn't need to see just how well he pictures some scenes in those books…_ She sat up slowly, trying to ignore the way her body protested. She closed her eyes, estimating how much chakra she had after using up most of it up with the teleportation jutsu, _I should have enough to summon one, medium sized dog…_ She bit her thumb and started to weave the signs, a surge of chakra notified her that Phoenix was helping her out, but she didn't break her concentration, _Summoning Jutsu!_ She slapped her hand on the ground, and smoke appeared revealing only the silhouette of a medium dog, that looked a bit out of proportion, with floppy ears. The dog let out an excited bark, before it leapt towards Sara, "No!" She protested as the dog slammed into her, pushing her back onto the mat.

The bark and Sara's protest was enough to bring the others back in. Inari grinned as he saw the adolescent Great Dane pup sitting happily on top of Sara.

"Off!" Sara grunted, shoving at Duchess's chest. Duchess obeyed, moving her black spotted body off of her mistress.

Ryo demanded, "What happened to not using your chakra?"

Duchess took the opportunity to clean Sara's, apparently dirty, face, and Sara had to shove the happy pup away, "If it matters, Phoenix gave me his chakra to use." _Thanks, by the way…_

_Don't mention it,_ Phoenix muttered crossly, knowing he'd performed a good deed, yet again.

Kenshin asked, "Is this the dog you were talking about? The one that can find our contact no matter where they are at?"

"Yeah," Sara managed to say, pushing Duchess away again. "This is Duchess."

Duchess finally realized that there were other people in the room and automatically went to each one, seeking attention and receiving tentative pats from everyone, except Inari, who she took an instant liking too as he stroked her again and again.

"No offense," Ryo said, feeling a bit uncomfortable in criticizing Sara. "But we were expecting…a more experienced Ninken."

"She'll get the job done," Sara reassured them. "Duchess, come here!" Duchess ignored her, instead flopping onto her side so Inari could rub her tummy.

Ryo decided to save the dog from being yelled at by saying, "Kenshin and I thought of something…" Sara nodded to him, signifying that he should continue. "Our target has probably recruited a sensory ninja, and I think you should include that in the information you send our contact."

Sara nodded, "I'll tell them it's a possibility, but doubtful." She sighed, "Much as I hate to admit it, I believe the fault was mine in my transformation and keeping it the same." Duchess lightened the, suddenly, darkened mood, by letting out a moan of pleasure as Inari rubbed her stomach, causing her to roll onto her back happily, wagging her tail, and grinning, her expression was comical: her front teeth showing and her jowls touching the floor.

Sara grinned as she sat up, "Come here, Duchess." Duchess reluctantly got to her paws and padded up to Sara, giving a mischievous grin as her tail wagged slowly. "Focus, Duchess," Sara said, grabbing the pup's head gently so Duchess would look her in the eyes. "Now, I need you to do something for me…" The puppy's tail started to wag harder. "I need you to deliver some sensitive information…" Sara pulled out a scroll and wrote on it quickly using the Hidden Leaf Village's code as she wrote, tying the scroll to the puppy's headband when she was finished. "Now, Duchess, I need you to find F. T." Duchess cocked her head to the side, perplexed. Sara sighed, "The Fat Toad?" Duchess was still perplexed. "Go find Jiraiya!" With an excited bounce, Duchess shot out of the room and out the door, eager to find the Pervy Sage. Sara muttered something incoherently about Duchess, but no one really heard what it was.

Kenshin asked, "What do you want Ryo and I to do? Try tracking Sa…him again?"

"No," Sara said, shaking her head. "We'll all stay here while I recuperate, and then we'll return to the village." Kenshin opened his mouth to argue, but Sara cut him off, "We've lost his trail by now. Our only option is to stay here and then return to the village…and see what Lady Tsunade wants us to do from there."

Kenshin sighed, unable to argue with her logic, "All right."

"We'll be here a couple days," Ryo stated. "It will take awhile for your chakra to recover to a sufficient level."

"There's not much else we can do," Sara murmured.

**The Northern Hideout**

At the Southern Hideout, Karin and Suigetsu had joined Sasuke outside, neither commenting on sensing Sasuke's chakra and curse mark earlier. Instead, Suigetsu complained, "Ugh, more walking? I'm at the end of my rope here…"

"Geez. You know we're going to the Northern Hideout. If you can't take a little walk, you're dead the moment we arrive," Karin stated.

Suigetsu said, "Yeah, I know where it is on the map. But I didn't know the place was that dangerous."

"The Northern Hideout isn't your conventional stronghold," Karin said. Sasuke and Suigetsu looked at her, "It's for…well…human experimentation. It's full of all the monsters they produce there."

Meanwhile, within the deepest, darkest confines of the Northern Hideout, an orange haired prisoner sat, a heavy, black, iron ball shackled to his right ankle, muttering to himself, "No…a woman. I prefer a woman. But wait…why not a man? Yeah…yeah, a man will do. No…a woman..gotta be a woman… Nah…a man's better… A man… No…No, a woman… My next victim…will be a man… Yeah…" He glanced up as he heard a scream of pain from outside his cell door, "Hmm…it's begun."

A day later, Suigetsu complained, taking a drink from his canteen, "Hey…you gotta be tired by now. Time for a break." He plopped himself onto a boulder to rest.

"How pathetic are you?" Karin demanded. "The Northern Hideout is still a long way off!"

Suigetsu sighed, "And you've got somewhere else to go. Don't worry about me. Just go on ahead."

This irked Karin, "Well, I just remembered something I had to do at the Northern Hideout! So I decided to go there first!"

"Oh boy," Suigetsu murmured.

Sensing that the pair would be arguing for awhile, Sasuke sat down on a boulder as well, willing to wait them out.

"Suigetsu…Why are you hanging around with Sasuke?" Karin inquired.

"I've got my own reasons," he answered. "You could say it's a mutually advantageous relationship. But hey, I should ask you the same question."

Karin crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't know what you guys are after. But you know what Jugo's like. Do you really hope to recruit him?"

"I know a few things about him," Suigetsu murmured. "I was forced to fight him once." Sasuke was now listening intently, "He used some interesting powers and was pretty strong. But I could never tell what he was thinking, and I never liked him." He took another drink from his canteen, "Rumor has it he came to Orochimaru of his own free will… He's a little bit demented." Sasuke was starting to get bored with the conversation.

"Do you know why he came to Orochimaru?" Karin asked.

Suigetsu shrugged, "Beats me. Didn't strike me as all that bright." Karin stared down at him, remaining silent, "So why did he?"

"To be fixed," Karin said ominously.

Suigetsu was perplexed, "Fixed?"

"Yeah," Karin nodded. "The hideout is like a sanctuary for him."

"What's his problem?" Suigetsu wondered.

"It's like an addiction," Karin continued. "He can't do anything about it on his own." Suigetsu was baffled at what Karin was saying. "He wants to control his urge to slaughter," she stated dramatically. Sasuke was, once again, interested in the conversation.

Suigetsu muttered, "Oh, lovely. A head case with the bloodlust. That's just what we need!"

"No. You don't get it," Karin said, causing Suigetsu to look at her in confusion. "He can usually suppress his bizarre urges. But when they overcome him. He's no longer himself. He turns into a horrible, demonic thing. His looks change along with his personality."

"Huh," Suigetsu mused. "The things some people hide. When I fought him though, he used a different kind of power…"

Karin ignored him, "Orochimaru was fascinated with his power. That's what led him to extract a certain fluid from Jugo's body and purify the enzyme…which allowed other shinobi to achieve the same state. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this." Sasuke and Suigetsu remained silent, although their gazes answered Karin's question. "I'm talking about the Curse Mark! It originated with Jugo."

At the Northern Hideout, a blood bath was occurring as one of the prisoners used his curse mark to slaughter the others, "I'm getting out of here. And whoever stands in my way is dead! So let's see…who's next?"

The next day, after stopping several times the previous day, Suigetsu plopped onto the ground, "Hey…how about we take a break?"

Karin was beyond irritated with him by now since the Northern Hideout was within sight, "SUIGETSU! WE CAN'T KEEP STOPPING ALL THE TIME! COME ON, WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" She stomped back towards him, "IS THAT SWORD TOO HEAVY FOR YOU? WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE IT BEHIND?"

"Hey…" Sasuke said softly, managing to draw the others' attention. Karin and Suigetsu followed his gaze to see a man lying on the ground.

They approached the figure and Karin rolled him over and propped him up, "He's from the Northern Hideout. He's still alive."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked the man.

The man gasped, "A…are you…Sasuke Uchiha? Help…"

"Why?" Suigetsu questioned. "What's going on?"

The man's eyes were glazed with pain as he answered, "It started with…a rumor that Orochimaru was dead. The prisoners…they all went berserk… The way it's going…" He gave one last gasp of pain before he was still.

"Whoops…guess he died," Suigetsu said.

Karin turned as she sensed someone's chakra, at the same moment a prisoner landed several feet in front of them, his curse mark activated. "I know you," he growled.

"What is that thing?" Suigetsu wondered.

Karin was unnerved, "He's in his second state but already transformed!"

Sasuke was unfazed by the prisoner's second state. Moving swiftly, he took down the prisoner with two blows from his Kusanagi blade before the prisoner could even defend himself. The prisoner dropped to the ground as his curse mark receded, dead.

Sasuke sheathed his blade, "The Northern Hideout is right up there. Let's hurry on and meet Jugo."

Suigetsu examined the body of the prisoner, a bit perplexed, "Hm? Who is this guy?" He had assumed that the, now dead, prisoner was Jugo.

Still within his cell, Jugo was still muttering to himself as his own curse mark started to spread, "Okay, it's settled. If the next one through that door is a woman, then I'll kill her."

Meanwhile, in the Land of Waves, Sara was flipping through her branch the Uchiha's journal, pausing as she came to one entry, a grin slowly spreading across her face, _it's about time I found someone who wrote down how the jutsu to expand this journal worked!_ Kenshin interrupted her thoughts, "Are we heading out now or what?"

"Yes," Sara said, shoving the book into her pack, having recovered enough to head back to the village, "We're heading out."

Kenshin was raring to go, "It's a good thing the Land of Waves is fairly close to our village, we'll be there by the afternoon."

"We'll be ahead of the storm at least," Ryo muttered, as he looked at the window, watching the approaching rain clouds. He didn't fancy walking in the rain.

**News of the Clash**

In the Hidden Leaf Village, a doorbell rang, forcing a groggy Naruto to answer the door as he clutched his cup of instant ramen, he squinted at Sakura.

"Ramen already, Naruto?" Sakura asked incredulously. "You just woke up!"

Naruto half-moaned, "Sakura, it's our day off. Why are you here? And why so early?"

"It's past noon, for your information," Sakura answered testily. "But never mind that…just wash up and change, okay? I'll wait right here."

"Wait…" Naruto said, missing the serious note in Sakura's voice. "Is this a date?"

Sakura lost her self-control on her temper, "FOOL! Lady Tsunade has summoned us!"

In the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade's irritated voice could be heard, "You're late!" She turned to face Naruto and Sakura, "What took you so long!"

"Now, now, Tsunade…" Jiraiya said, holding up his hands, trying to calm her down.

Sakura stammered, bowing to the Hokage, "P-please forgive us…Naruto was eating lunch for breakfast…"

"Hey! Pervy Sage!" Naruto greeted Jiraiya, completely ignoring Tsunade.

Jiraiya grinned, "Long time no see, Naruto!"

"So…what did you want to discuss?" Sakura asked, cautiously.

Tsunade gazed at them both intently, "We've been seeing some intel floating around multiple channels. We need to talk about it."

"Intel?" Sakura queried.

Naruto asked, "What? What is it?"

Jiraiya's gaze became serious as Tsunade said, "Orochimaru is dead. And it seems Sasuke Uchiha killed him." Naruto and Sakura were rendered, temporarily, speechless.

"Seriously? For real?" Naruto demanded.

Jiraiya nodded, "There's no mistake…I heard it from a trustworthy source…"

They all turned as there was a crash in the hallway outside, along with a faint "woof!" and possibly someone shouting. Jiraiya looked a bit worried, but the sounds soon faded.

"Then that means," Sakura said, tears in her eyes, now that she could focus on the news she had just received.

"Woo hoo!" Naruto shouted. "I knew Orochimaru couldn't break him! Then Sasuke's coming home to the Leaf Village, right?"

Tsunade looked downcast, causing Naruto and Sakura to gaze between her and Jiraiya worriedly.

"Unfortunately," Jiraiya said. "It doesn't seem like it…at least, not according to my source."

Sakura demanded, "Who is this source?"

There was another, excited bark, and then something slammed into the door, forcing it open. A Great Dane puppy shot in happy, Shizune clutching it's headband as she was dragged along shouting, "Yiaaaahhh!"

Tonton came galloping in after the Great Dane and Shizune with an angry "Oink!" and she head butted the Great Dane pup, who merely glanced at Tonton.

"Shizune!" Tsunade shouted, as the puppy circled Jiraiya happily, tail going two-forty. "I thought I told you to take that mutt back to her kennel!"

"She wouldn't go!" Shizune stated. "And have you seen the size of her?"

Sakura smiled, _that's one of Sara's dogs, I bet she's the source!_

_Hmm…who has a Great Dane like that?_ Naruto wondered.

_Why does this dog refuse to leave me alone?_ Jiraiya thought, reluctantly patting the pup's head.

At the Southern Hideout, Karin whispered, "All the wardens are dead…and the inmates have all broken out."

"At this rate, we cant' tell which one is Jugo…eh, Sasuke," Suigetsu murmured, watching the hoard of inmates in front of them warily.

Sasuke glanced at Karin, "Is Jugo there?"

"Everyone just shut up…" Karin said, making a hand sign, "Give me a sec." She focused on all of the different inmates' chakra. "He's not among them."

Suigetsu grinned, "Then we can do as we please then, eh?"

"Just don't kill them," Sasuke stated.

Suigetsu grabbed his blade, "Right…you really are from the Leaf Village…you're soft."

"Let's go," Sasuke said, ignoring Suigetsu's last comment.

Within the confines of the Southern Hideout, Jugo was still muttering to himself, watching his cell door intently, "Woman…if a woman comes in, I'll kill her…kill…"

It didn't take long for Sasuke and Suigetsu to fight their way through the prisoners outside and inside the compound. Suigetsu sighed as Karin appeared in one of the hallways, holding up a key ring, "I've found the keys." The trio started to walk down the hallway.

Sasuke said as they came to a several, converging hallways, "Which way is it, Karin? Lead on."

"Sasuke! Quit bossing us around!" Karin snapped.

Suigetsu said, "Just chill and figure it out, okay? This is what you're good at, right?"

Karin glared at him, before she focused on Jugo's chakra, "That way."

Suigetsu followed the direction that Karin was pointing, taking the lead. Sasuke made to follow him, when Karin yanked him down a different hallway, "What is it?"

Karin blushed, "It's actually this way. Now come on, Sasuke!"

"Why did you lie?" Sasuke questioned. "Suigetsu went off in the wrong direction."

"I hate Suigetsu!" Karin elaborated. "Always running his mouth! Come on!" She retained a hold on Sasuke's arm.

"Let go…I can walk on my own," Sasuke muttered.

Suigetsu, meanwhile, had no idea that he was on his own, "You know…I didn't realize that the curse mark could transform one's body to such a grotesque degree… Sasuke…does the curse mark change you like that too?" He stopped as no response came from Sasuke. He turned around, "Sasuke?" An empty hallway greeted his gaze. "That wench!" His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist.

Meanwhile, Karin and Sasuke had reached a reinforced cell door, with two chains across it, while four, thick deadbolts kept the cell locked.

"This is it?" Sasuke asked.

Karin nodded, "Yeah. Jugo's inside." She started to unlock each of the different locks.

Inside the cell, Jugo could hear the two ninja talking, "Someone's here…now…which is it?"

Karin managed to get all of the locks opened, "There! I'm going to open it now." She started to grab the handle of the door, but Sasuke beat her to it.

"Stay back, Karin. I'll go first…" he said as he started to push open the door.

Jugo watched the door open bit by bit, but he still couldn't tell who was opening the door, "No…I take it back…if a man comes in, I'll kill him." The door opened enough for Jugo to see Sasuke's face, "Bingo! You're dead!" Jugo shouted, as he ran forward, the giant, metal ball not hampering him in the slightest.

"Here he comes!" Karin shouted. Sasuke tensed, crouching down, ready to strike.

Walking back to the Hidden Leaf Village, Kenshin kept glancing at Sara, who was stubbornly refusing to rest, and forcing herself to maintain the pace that they were at, _She recovered enough of her chakra to travel, but she's pushing herself too much._ He had given up saying anything to her, since she refused to listen to him.

Kenshin wasn't the only one who was worried, Ryo watched how stiff her movements were, _if I didn't know any better, I'd say her muscles just went through one of their spasms._ "I'm bushed," he said, abruptly, leaning against a tree, "I need a break."

Kenshin rolled his eyes, _sure, the one that doesn't need a rest, asks for one!_ He looked at Sara to see how she'd react.

"All right," she said, sighing. "We'll take a brief break." She sat down, and leaned her back against the trunk of a tree, _damn spasms…_ she thought darkly. _I had to ask Phoenix to send a surge of his chakra through my body, but it didn't work as well as the times before…probably because my chakra hasn't fully recovered…_ She glanced at the sky, noting that the storm clouds that had been so close in the Land of Waves, were now farther behind them, _the storm's moving slowly…_ "We'll get going again in a few minutes," she stated, glancing at Ryo, who promptly looked away from her, pretending to be exhausted. _He needed a break my ass…!_

**The Man to Man Talk**

Suigetsu gazed around in confusion as he gazed around the room, having back tracked to try and find Sasuke and Karin, "I'm back where I started…guess I should have turned right at that fork."

"Wh-why…why have you come here…?" One of the inmates that he and Sasuke had left alive asked weakly.

"We're here for Jugo," Suigetsu stated, glancing at the inmate. "We want him to join us."

The inmate laughed, "You have no idea…what you're in for…" He groaned in pain, before he continued, missing the look Suigetsu gave him. "If you let someone like him loose in this world…"

"Oh, believe me. I know," Suigetsu agreed. "But I'll make him see reason…by force if necessary…"

The inmate laughed again, "However strong you area…you're no match for him…"

Suigetsu lost his patience with the inmate and kicked him in the side, "You know…if it weren't for Sasuke's orders…you'd be dead now."

The inmate laughed again, "Dead! You're all dead!"

"I think he'll forgive me…" Suigetsu mused, grabbing the hilt of his sword, "Just this once." He swung his blade, silencing the inmate.

Further in the compound, Jugo had slammed Sasuke into the wall. Karin stared in shock at the scene and shouted, "Sasuke!"

Jugo laughed insanely, his own curse mark spreading, "Not just yet!" Without moving his arm away from pinning Sasuke, a piston moved where his elbow should have been, pulling back before slamming forward, pushing Sasuke further into the wall.

Karin sensed a surge of chakra, _Sasuke's chakra…!_

The dust from the wall being shattered started to dissipate, revealing a hand shaped wing blocking Jugo's punches.

_Transformed!_ Karin stared in awed horror at Sasuke as the hand shaped wing threw Jugo back, and then started to recede.

"What? Another copycat brat?" Jugo questioned. "Quite impressive though, that you can do segmental transformation! You're pretty good at using the curse mark!"

Sasuke stated, "I'm not here to fight you, Jugo. I just want to talk."

Jugo didn't seem to understand Sasuke's words as he charged forward again, "He's strong! Haven't seen a copycat this good since Kimimaro!" He made to punch Sasuke.

There was a "klang" as a blade stopped Jugo's punch, and Suigetsu staggered a bit as he lost his blade, which spun across the floor.

"What?" Jugo exclaimed.

Suigetsu grinned, "Nice technique, Jugo. Different, but solid." Jugo stared at him in confusion. Suigetsu turned to Sasuke, "Leave him to me. And Karin," he turned to face the red head. "I'll get to you later…"

"Great," Karin muttered.

Sasuke glanced at Suigetsu as his curse mark completely faded, "Stop it. We didn't come here to fight. Let me talk to him."

Suigetsu grinned, shaking his head in disbelief at Sasuke's words, "He's not the type that listens to words. The only language he understands is force."

Jugo said, "That's right! You're Suigetsu. I remember you now." His arm started to morph into a blade. Suigetsu dove for his blade and swung it, Jugo meeting the blow with his arm. The two slid away from each other with the recoil from their blows. Suigetsu recovered faster, swinging his blade low to slice Jugo in half. Jugo easily ducked the blow, and was ready to retaliate.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Sasuke said in a commanding tone.

Karin was grinning, _no… Let them kill each other…!_

Suigetsu and Jugo made to swing at each other again, when they both were stopped mid-blow, Sasuke standing between them, two large snakes hanging out of his sleeves and holding Suigetsu and Jugo in place. His voice was deadly quiet, and his Sharingan gaze, was filled with blood lust, "Do you both…want me to kill you?"

Jugo and Suigetsu both tensed in fear realizing the danger they were both in. Neither moved towards the other as the snakes pulled away from them and slithered back up Sasuke's sleeves.

Suigetsu was sweating, _that…was real intent to kill just now…!_

_Th-that was incredible!_ Karin thought, blushing, _Oh, Sasuke…!_

Jugo's curse mark receded, and once it was completely gone, Jugo whipped his head from side to side, taking in the people around him and the hallway before he shot back into his cell with a yell, slamming the door shut behind himself. He shouted from within the cell as he cowered in a corner, "H-hurry up and lock the door!"

"No, Jugo…I came to take you out of here," Sasuke stated. "Come with me."

Suigetsu muttered, "Sasuke really freaked him out."

"No, that's not it," Karin said.

Sasuke listened in surprise to what Jugo said next, "I don't wanna kill any more people! I don't wanna go outside… Please just leave me alone!"

"What…?" Suigetsu said, baffled. "Wow. Schizophrenia…"

Karin stated, "I told you… Jugo gets irrepressible, violent urges and he loses control of himself. But truth is, he'd actually rather not kill."

**Their Plans…**

Jugo whimpered from within his cell, "I don't know when the urge to kill will strike again! So, please! Just hurry up and lock the door!"

"I don't think Jugo's going to work out, Sasuke," Suigetsu muttered. "We'll constantly have to watch our backs around him."

"Who ARE you people anyway?" Jugo bellowed, wishing they'd leave. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

Sasuke took a step towards the closed door, "Orochimaru's dead. This hideout's been destroyed too. You'll be done for if you stay here."

"Fine by me! I've got enough blood on my hands!" Jugo shouted.

"Don't worry…I'll be your cage. I'll stop you," Sasuke stated, now inches away from the door. Silence greeted this statement for several minutes.

Jugo finally said, just loud enough so they could hear him, "What can you do? The only one who can stop my urges is Kimimaro. If Kimimaro's not here, I can't go outside!"

"Kimimaro?" Suigetsu wondered. "You mean of the Kaguya clan?"

"Yeah…Jugo and Kimimaro were Orochimaru's favorite lab rats. They were both imprisoned together here for live experimentation," Karin stated. "So Kimimaro was probably the one person Jugo trusted within this organization. And Kimimaro was strong too… I heard he was the only one who could stop Jugo's rampages…without harming his fellow, precious, research subject."

Suigetsu was a bit baffled now, "but I thought that guy was…"

"Jugo…" Sasuke didn't let Suigetsu finish his thought, "Kimiaro died for me. He's gone."

Jugo's eyes opened wide with shock, "He died for you…? Then you're…Sasuke Uchiha…?"

"That's right," Sasuke answered.

Jugo remembered the last time he had seen his friend, Kimimaro, and how Kimimaro had explained to him the reason why he was leaving his sickbed, and promising that he'd be back… Jugo now understood why Kimimaro had never returned as he stood up and opened his cell door, taking a good look at Sasuke, _so that's what happened, eh, Kimimaro?_

Meanwhile, entering the Hidden Leaf, Sara, Kenshin and Ryo had just returned from their mission. Sara turned to her two comrades, "Head back to the Anbu area, I'll make the report to Lady Tsunade." Kenshin and Ryo looked like they wanted to argue…or at least Kenshin did, but a voice calling Sara's name took away the opportunity.

Sara turned as she heard Kakashi call her name, "Sara! Where have you been?"

Sara sighed, _no "how are you?" or "I missed you!" No, it's "where have you been?"…_

Kakashi smiled under his mask, hearing her sigh, "It's good to see you…were you on a mission…?" He glanced at the puffs of smoke that told him that two ninja had been standing near the gate. He frowned, _why did they skedaddle so quickly? _

"Yeah, I was on a mission," she answered. "I meant to tell you, but Tsunade sort of told me at the last minute…"

"It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're back," Kakashi said, embracing her. He could sense her exhaustion, and he wanted to kick himself as he asked, "Are you up for another mission."

Sara, being Sara, answered, ignoring the fact that her chakra had not fully recovered from her, long distance, teleportation, "Yes! What's the mission."

"I don't know yet…we need to head to the Hokage's Mansion though, since I have a hunch on what the mission will be," he grinned under his mask, as he beckoned for Sara to follow him.

Outside the Southern Hideout, Sasuke turned to his three comrades, "Now that I've gathered my dream team…here's my plan…" Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo waited patiently for him to continue, "My goal is to kill Akatsuki member Itachi Uchiha. I want your help.

"Thought so…" Suigetsu muttered.

"But first, Karin…you said you had some business to take care of…what is it?" Sasuke questioned.

Karin blushed, "R-right…now that I think about it, it's not really that urgent."

"Sheesh, Karin!" Suigetsu said, "Can you just be honest for once? Like it's any big secret you just want to be around Sasuke."

Now Karin was furious, "Th-that's not it at all! I-I don't know who's spreading such scurrilous lies, but, uh…where was I?"

"There, bull's eye!" Suigetsu was grinning, "That's hwy you start stuttering. It's so obvious." His gaze turned fiendish, "I know the truth you know, that long ago you…"

Karin's eyes widened before she slugged Suigetsu, causing his head to explode in a splash of water.

Irritated, Sasuke snapped, "Suigetsu, stop egging Karin on…I told you from the get-go to play nice."

Suigetsu's head started to reform, "All right…sorry Karin." His head was fully reformed now as he cast her the same fiendish look, "but I'm warning you, I'm going to stick smack dab by Sasuke's side. At least until I obtain Samehada. One of the seven Hidden Mist Village blades, the giant sword of Itachi Uchiha's sidekick, Kisame Hoshigaki."

"You're just weapon collecting? Bo-ring…" Karin stated. Suigetsu cast her an irritated look.

His look didn't go unnoticed, "Suigetsu!" Sasuke warned.

"I know…I know," Suigetsu muttered darkly. He changed subjects, "What about you, Jugo? Now that you're out…are you IN?"

Sasuke watched Jugo intently as Jugo answered Suigetsu's question, "Kimimaro said Sasuke was like his reincarnation…and sacrificed himself to protect him… I want to see what kind of shinobi you really are."

"Then it's decided then," Sasuke said.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Mansion, Naruto's shout could be heard outside in the hallway, "What do you mean? Why not? Orchimaru's gone, so why wouldn't he come home?"

Outside the door, Sara glanced at the others Kakashi had gathered, nodding at each individual that was there, while Kakashi leaned nonchalantly against the door, waiting for the right moment to enter. He said to her silently, _stay out of sight of the door, I don't want Naruto and Sakura to know that you all are here."_

_"Right,_" Sara answered, moving out of sight of the doorway like the others had already done.

Inside the office, Jiraiya said, still patting a happy Duchess, "Sasuke's obsessed with vengeance. He's planning to infiltrate the Akatsuki and kill his own brother, Itachi Uchiha."

Naruto practically growled, "That idiot! He's still…?" Then he really did growl, "Grrrr!"

Back near the Southern Hideout Sasuke continued his little speech, "From here on out, we move together. And our cell shall be known as…the Hebi."

In the Hokage's office, "Hey, I know!" Naruto shouted. "Let's form a cell and get out there too! Operation Track Akatsuki is still going on right?"

"Yes…" Tsunade answered warily.

Naruto continued eagerly, "If we hunt down that Akatsuki member first…we'll definitely run into Sasuke eventually!"

Sasuke continued, "As I said, the Hebi has only one goal…"

"In other words, our target is…" Naruto continued.

And the two ninja said at the same time, even though they were miles apart, "Itachi Uchiha!"

Tsunade mused, "Itachi Uchiha, huh… so what to do and how to go about it…?"

"If we can capture even one Akatsuki member…I think we can count on Ibiki-sensei to get information out of them," Sakura stated.

"I've already given each squad standing orders to try to capture Akatsuki members and bring them in but…"

Kakashi took that as his cue to enter, leaning against the doorframe, blocking their view of the hallway, "They're a tight lipped bunch, that's for sure… Judging from the ones we've encountered so far, it's been too risky to take them alive or intact."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, wondering how long he'd been in the hallway.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Naruto demanded, turning to face Kakashi.

"Well…" Kakashi suggested, "Keep searching patiently until we run into Itachi?"

Naruto gritted his teeth, not liking that suggestion, but he didn't get a chance to voice his opinion, since Jiraiya said, "Hunt Itachi to catch Sasuke huh… And what will you do when you find the elder Uchiha brother?

Kakashi had already figured that part out, "We'll need more than just one cell that's for sure."

"What do you mean MORE?" Naruto asked.

Sakura explained, "If we take Itachi down, Sasuke will no longer have a motive, so we'll need to capture and keep Itachi alive. And for that, we need a lot more people, as opposed to if we were just eliminating him, right?"

"That is correct," Kakashi agreed. "Though I would argue a two-cell team should be plenty. When the targets to be captured are few in number, as in one or two, the more cells you the involve the greater the odds of being spotted. Not to mention, the chain of command gets more confusing and the chances of success decrease."

Jiraiya now knew that Kakashi had planned everything out, down to his entrance into the office, and he cast Kakashi an irked look, "and since live capture also requires more finesse that assassination you want shinobi who've worked together before to ensure smooth teamwork."

"On that note," Kakashi said innocently, gesturing towards the door. "I've already summoned the ones I believe are best suited for this mission." He turned to face the door, "Come on in everybody."

Everyone turned to face the door as it opened, and Duchess left out a happy woof.

**Now the wait for Part 7 begins! And thank you to all who've been reading this story!**


	7. Part 7

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.**

_**Recap: Sasuke has killed Orochimaru and now he's on the mosve to kill his half brother, Itachi with his new squad, the Hebi. But Sasuke's not the only one who has his sights on Itachi, Naruto and his friends also have the same target to try and get their, once comrade, Sasuke, back. **_

**On the Move**

In an abandoned area, Sasuke's team, the Hebi, followed their fearless leader into a sky ward. The walls were cracked, and the electrical wires and pipes were easily spotted through holes in the walls and ceiling.

Suigetsu commented, "I never knew we had a hideout in such a wasteland."

"This place has nothing to do with Orochimaru," Sasuke said, glancing back at Suigetsu. "Thisis where we'll outfit ourselves for battle."

"It's like a maze in here. All the passage ways look the same," Suigetsu muttered.

Karin glared at her surroundings, "What an irritating place… It's stifling."

"You're welcome to leave," an unknown voice stated bluntly. Everyone, except Sasuke, turned around in confusion, and Karin's eyes widened at the voice's user.

"Long time no see, Denka. Hina," Sasuke said.

Two cats sat in the hallway, both wearing small robes. The cat that had originally spoken meowed, "It IS you, Sasuke boy!"

"What brings you here?" the other cat asked.

"Weapons and medicine…plus other sundries," Sasuke answered. "Preparation for the battle ahead."

Karin was confused by the cats, "But they're…"

"Wow…" Suigetsu said, cutting Karin off. "Talking cats." He extended his hand out, "Come here, boy." The first cat hissed at him, flattening its ears and arching its back. "Whoa!" He quickly withdrew his hand.

"They're ninja cats," Sasuke stated. "Be careful, or they'll claw you up."

The first cat was relaxed once again as it eagerly asked, "You brought gifts. Mew?"

Sasuke pulled a bottle out of his pouch, "Here…it's a bottle of catnip."

The cat turned around and beckoned with its tail, "Come along. Granny Cat will see you."

The cat led them to a room where a woman with a cat eared hair band, was seated, smoking a pipe while cats of various ages and colors wove around her. The cat that had led them to the room set a pack in front of a kneeling Sasuke.

"I am truly grateful, Granny Cat," he said, respectfully. Sasuke preceded to unroll the pack that was in front of him, revealing a book of medicines and a variety of containers. While Suigetsu was coaxing a cat to come closer to him, and Karin stood off to the side, aloof, arms crossed over her chest. Jugo, meanwhile, was being fitted with new clothes by a girl.

Granny Cat asked, "So. You're still going after Itachi?" Sasuke didn't answer as he resealed the pack. She continued, "I've known the both of you since you were wee things…I never imagined it would come to this. Today, you are the only two remaining pureblooded Uchiha…and yet you must kill each other."

"We'll be going now," Sasuke said, setting down some money. "Thank you for all you've done…"

"Granny…" The girl that was fitting Jugo with clothes called out, "Don't we have bigger clothes that could fit this one?"

Granny Cat pointed at the curtain, "Wrap him in that curtain over there then. We're not a clothing store."

"Granny!" The girl exclaimed. "We're being paid!"

Jugo solved the dilemma by yanking the curtain away from window and wrapping it around himself, liking how the cloth felt and looked.

Once they had left Granny Cat's, outfitted with rain cloaks as well, Sasuke said to his team, as rain poured down from the heavens, "Let's go." Taking the lead as his hunt for Itachi began.

At the gates to the Hidden Leaf Village, Kakashi commented as he stepped forward, "What miserable weather for a mission launch."

"It could be worse," Sara commented, glancing up at the light grey clouds.

Naruto, who was at the very front of the group shouted, ignoring Kakashi and Sara, "All right, people! Let's go!"

Kiba, who was amongst the group, along with Hinata, Shino, Sai, Yamato, and Sakura muttered, "I think the rain's perfect for cooling down those who are a bit too fired up." Akamaru woofed softly in agreement to what Kiba had said.

**Where to…?**

"Okay," Kakashi said as he landed on a rooftop the others gathering around him. The storm had finally passed, though clouds still remained in the sky. "We'll use this as our center point to start and search a five kilometer radius in all directions. If we don't find anything, we'll move the center point and search the next five kilometer radius. And so on and so forth."

"Five kilometers?" Sakura questioned, a bit of alarm showing in her voice. "But if we spread that far apart we won't be able to use the Comm. Units! And it's too dangerous to split up!" She was on a roll now, "Rules dictate a minimum number of two-man cells for patrols. So that if an enemy is encountered…"

Yamato managed to stop her from going any further, "Sakura, don't worry."

Kakashi quickly sliced his thumb and made the necessary hand signs before he hit the ground with his palm. With a puff of smoke Kakashi's eight dogs (minus Princess) were eager to go.

From atop the largest dogs head, Pakkun said, "Our voices reach farther than any Comm. Unit. Plus, our noses can detect danger faster and we can assist you in battles."

"Pakkun!" Naruto said, recognizing the dog.

Sara sliced her thumb as well and made the necessary hand signs, before, she too, hit the ground with her palm, summoning eight of her nine dogs (minus Duchess).

Streak grinned at Pakkun, "Well, most of us can assist you in battle." Pakkun growled at the Great Dane.

Kakashi stared in surprise at Streak, "When did they learn how to talk?"

"Oh, we've known for awhile," Streak said, while scratching his ear. "We just don't usually feel like it."

Kakashi just sighed in response, before he said, "All right. Let me explain the team rosters for our patrols. To be safe, I'm assigning each person a team of at least, three ninja dogs."

"Three?" Sakura said, counting the dogs, "But there aren't…"

Kakashi didn't let her finish, "So please, play nice, okay?"

"Nice to meet you Sakura," one of Kakashi's dogs greeted her, a grey with a tuft of hair on its head.

Another one, a brown dog with a tattoo on its forehead muttered, "You're such a loud-mouthed female."

Sara nodded at two of her dogs, who also stepped forward, Two-Tone murmured, "I hope you won't cause us any trouble."

"Let's all get along now," Smokey muttered.

Sakura gazed at the four dogs in surprise.

Without waiting for either Sara or Kakashi's orders, four dogs joined Shino. Wrinkles said as he padded forward, "I'll go with Shino." At the same time one of Kakashi's dogs did, a tan colored one with glasses like Shino's. The two dogs glared at each other for a second, before they moved to either side of Shino.

Happy followed Wrinkles, determined to stay with his kennel mate, while a brown and white dog of Kakashi's with floppy ears remained silent as he surveyed Shino.

Sai glanced warily at the three dogs that circled him like vultures, "Nice to meet you." One of the dogs with an evil look to him just cackled, while the red one merely surveyed Sai. Even Quick Silver, remained silent, eyeing Sai warily.

Naruto demanded when he didn't notice any dogs coming near him immediately, "Hey! What about me?"

"You're a Jinchûriki and thus a target," Kakashi explained. "To protect you from potential Akatsuki attack, you'll be escorted by Yamato and sensory-scout Hinata."

Pakkun added, "Plus Big Bark Bull and…" Kakashi's largest dog woofed then, cutting Pakkun off. Pakkun merely sighed, "…and Lucky."

Naruto glanced at the Irish wolfhound with the headband over its eye, "He doesn't look very lucky." Lucky growled in response, baring his teeth at Naruto.

"Behave," Sara warned the wolfhound. Lucky gave Naruto a dirty look, but stopped growling.

Hinata said when Naruto glanced at her, "G-good to work with you, Naruto."

"Yup!" Naruto said happily.

"And Kiba and I, who are used to working with ninja dogs will only have one each," Kakashi said. He glanced at Sara, "And Sara will also be joining me as well with her two ninja dogs." He added hastily as Sara shot him a dirty look. "And she's also accomplished with her ninja dogs!"

Kiba was grinning as he said, "We're ready to go over her."

"Listen up, everyone, our first priority is finding and tracking Sasuke's scent. Then next is the Akatsuki…either way, if you find someone, confirm his or her location and return to this spot." Kakashi said. He lifted his hand into the air, and everyone tensed, "Go!" Everyone scattered.

Meanwhile, in a forest within the Land of Fire, Suigetsu said to Jugo, "Well, then. Let's go." He and Jugo took off, leaving Sasuke and Karin alone.

_Oh yeah!_ Karin thought triumphantly, taking off her glasses and getting as close to Sasuke as possible, "Sasuke. I'm all alone with you."

"Hurry up and get going," Sasuke said impatiently.

Karin stuck her glasses back on and stalked away, "Gah!"

Sasuke continued on his course, keeping a lookout for any trouble.

Suigetsu, by now, had made his way to a pawn shop and was greeted by the guard, "Who the heck are you?"

"He'll forgive me…if it's a lackey," Suigetsu muttered, ticked off at the guard.

Inside the pawn shop, the owner was talking to one of his workers when they heard a thud. The owner told the employee, "Go take a look."

The employee had only made it halfway across the room when Suigetsu opened the door. "Who the…?" The employee managed to say before Suigetsu pinned both him and the owner against the wall using his blade.

"You're the Akatsuki member Kakuzu's subordinate and bookkeeper, right?" Suigetsu questioned.

The owner of the pawn shop was terrified, "I-I'll tell you anything. S-so please don't kill me."

"Keep talking," Suigetsu encouraged, pressing his sword a bit harder against them.

In a different part of the forest, Jugo allowed a bird t alight on his hand, "Let me ask you little ones…" He paused as his curse mark started to spread and he fought to maintain control.

Meanwhile, the team from the Leaf Village was searching their five kilometer radius diligently for any sign of Sasuke.

Kakashi commented to Sara as the two followed their ninja hounds, "It's been awhile since you and I have been on a mission together…or been together at all for that matter!"

"Not my fault," Sara muttered under her breath.

Kakashi smiled, "I know it's not your fault. Lady Hokage has been working you pretty hard…It's nice to be on a mission with you again."

"That's why you wanted me with you," Sara sighed, fighting her own smile. "I should have known. And here I thought you were trying to insult me by saying I couldn't handle being on my own with my dogs."

Kakashi laughed, "I would never insinuate that!"

Sakura was moving the slowest with the two dogs she had been paired with, letting the two dogs set the pace.

Without warning, the gray with the tuft of hair on its head stopped, sniffing the ground intently. "What is it?" Sakura asked.

"It's faint," the dog said, "but I detect a trace of Sasuke's scent." Sakura's eyes widened in shock at those words, and a part of her was thrilled to hear that they were on the right track.

**Collision!**

Sasuke turned as he heard a rustling in the trees behind him, "Who goes there? Show yourself…" The rustling continued, although no one answered him, not that he really expected them to.

Meanwhile Sakura was following the two ninja dogs through a town as they followed Sasuke's scent.

"Well?" she asked, a bit impatiently.

The gray dog glared at her, "I can't pin point it better. But it's definitely heading our way." They continued to walk for a few paces when the dog stopped, "We're close…!"

Without even knowing it, one of Sasuke's new comrades, Karin walked right past them.

The dog growled in frustration as it scanned the crowd, "It's no good… Now the scent is receding." Sakura frowned in thought.

Naruto and the others were taking it slow as well, but for different reasons than Sakura. Yamato said to Hinata and Naruto, "You know what to do, right?"

"Yes," they both said, nodding slightly.

Yamato whipped around, throwing shuriken at the trees behind them, while Naruto and Hinata merely turned with him, their eyes peeled for the enemy that they knew was following them. They all followed the enemy's movement as it leapt out of range of the shuriken and came to a stop.

"You…!" Naruto shouted.

"Me." Kabuto said, as he stood before them, wearing a grey cloak with a hood that hid half of his face.

Yamato said, "Kabuto Yakushi, a wanted felon under investigation in our village. There's an order out for your capture. You're pretty brash to voluntarily approach us like this…"

"I wanted to have a little chat with Naruto, you see," Kabuto stated.

Naruto glared at him, "Is it true Sasuke took down Orochimaru?"

Kabuto laughed, "You're still all about Sasuke, huh… Yeah…it's true." He took a step forward, "But never mind him…I've brought you a present, Naruto."

Meanwhile, Sasuke finally got to see who had been making the sounds within the trees behind him, "Those robes…"

An Akatsuki member with an orange mask stood before him, "So you're Sasuke, eh… Huh…you DO look like Itachi." Sasuke glared at him, and the Akatsuki member scurried behind a tree, "Whoa, scary!"

The sound of wings caused Sasuke to glance up in time to see two clay birds above him, one carrying a blond haired rider.

Deidara made a hand sign, and leapt off the bird just as the two birds hit the ground where Sasuke was standing, exploding on impact. He grinned triumphantly as he watched the flames of his explosion burn.

Kabuto held out a book to the Leaf ninja. "What's that?" Yamato questioned.

"Intelligence we gathered on the Akatsuki," Kabuto answered.

Naruto was suspicious, "Why show it to us?"

"I'm giving it to you." The Leaf Village shinobi stared at him in surprise, while Big Bark Bull growled.

Yamato asked, "So you're going to bargain with the Leaf Village?"

"No," Kabuto answered. "I'm sure the Leaf Village is not that naïve…nor am I… It's a gift, to Naruto, with all my gratitude. And since HE'S wanted by the Akatsuki…"

"Gratitude?" Naruto was now beyond confused.

Kabuto looked at the ground, "After Lord Orochimaru died I stopped knowing who I was again… Picked up and raised by the enemy with no memory of my parents or birthplace I was used as a spy since I was a child, moving around from country to country, village to village… For a long time, the idea of home was alien to me. Until I became Lord Orochimaru's disciple…but now he's gone." He threw the book, and it landed with a thud just in front of Naruto. "This pain I'm feeling…of not knowing who I am, of being without an identity…you've felt it too…haven't you Naruto? Are you Naruto Uzamaki…or the Nine-Tailed Fox? I know you struggled with that in the past, when everyone was giving you cold stares." Naruto glared at him.

In a different part of the forest, Sasuke had managed to avoid the explosion by summoning a large snake.

"He's pretty good," the Akatsuki member with the orange mask commented.

Deidara wasn't as impressed, "Gah! I still can't believe Orochimaru lost to such a brat…hmmm?"

Sasuke glared at the pair with his Sharingan up.

"Quite a challenge I those eyes, eh Tobi? Hmmm?" Deidara asked his masked companion, Tobi.

"We'll have to apologize to Itachi later," Tobi muttered.

Kabuto continued his conversation with Naruto, "But you believed in your own strength…in yourself, as Naruto Uzamaki and fought past the stares meant for the Nine Tails. That's why you've gained confidence in who you are and earned the respect of your comrades. But not me…instead of trying to reach beyond Lord Orochimaru I stubbornly kept clinging to his power." He lowered his hood and started to remove his glasses, "At long last, I understand where you've been and how you felt…you're the one who made me aware of all this. So I've decided to try and be like you. That's why I'm going to use what I've absorbed of Orochimaru to beomce a better stronger, Kabuto Yakushi!"

They all stared in horror at his left eye and the skin surrounding it, which looked like Orochimaru's eye and face.

"Lord Orochimaru is a symbol of renewal," Kabuto stated. "He will live on inside me as a reminder of what I must overcome. That's why I'm grateful to you, Naruto. I've found a new me…all because of you!"

**Deidara vs. Sasuke**

"Absorbed?" Naruto said in disbelief.

Kabuto pushed up the sleeve on his left arm, revealing white scaled skin, "See…I simply removed a portion of Lord Orochimaru's corpse after Sasuke defeated him and grafted it onto my own body…" Naruto was a bit alarmed by what he was hearing, "Oh, the life force it's given me! I can feel it consuming my entire body…"

"Unbelievable," Yamato muttered.

_Huh? What?_ Hinata could sense something different with Kabuto's chakra, _Byakugan!_ Her eyes widened in alarm, _almost a third of his body has already been taken over...!_

"I must fight tooth and claw not to be completely subsumed! Every day, my will to surpass Lord Orochimaru is reaffirmed," Kabuto continued, sounding insane.

Naruto stared at Kabuto for a second, "Heh." He charged forward, "Keep up the good work! From inside a Leaf Village cell!" He aimed several kicks and punches at Kabuto, but Kabuto blocked them all.

Kabuto glanced back in alarm as Yamato appeared behind him and started to ensnare him with his Wood Style jutsu.

"Ha!" Naruto said triumphantly, "Gotcha!"

Hinata was watching the fight with her keen eyes, "Naruto! Behind you!"

Yamato and Naruto turned as Kabuto slid to a halt, laughing insanely.

"Gah!" Naruto said in frustration as Kabuto's cloak fell to the ground.

"Once I have mastered Lord Orochimaru's power I'll fight you any day, Naruto," Kabuto stated. "But my first priority is his killer, Sasuke." He made a hand sign and he started to disappear, "Be seeing you." Kabuto disappeared in wisps of smoke.

The three Leaf Village shinobi stared at the spot where Kabuto had been before their eyes were drawn to the book he had left.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the forest, Sasuke was staring warily at the two Akatsuki members as Tobi said, "Sharingan, eh? He really is Itachi's little brother."

"You were only able to kill Orochimaru thanks to Uchiha blood, hmmm?" Deidara mused. "You're just blessed with good genes… So quit acting so smug!"

Sasuke lunged at the two Akatsuki, moving with a speed that took the Akatsuki members by surprise. _He's fast!_ Deidara felt the first prickle of fear, but he pushed it back down as he leapt into the air to dodge Sasuke's sword, while Tobi stared in surprise at Sasuke, "Huh?" Sasuke's blade sliced right through the Akatsuki member, and Tobi fell to the ground with a thud.

As Deidara landed on a tree branch, Sasuke turned around to face him, "One down…now chatterbox, you're going to tell me all about Itachi." A sound behind him caused him to turn around. Tobi was back on his feet, _He's…!_

Deidara shouted, "What are you doing, Tobi? Don't let your guard down with this brat just 'cuz he's a kid, hmmm?"

"His teleportation jutsu makes him too fast for both of us!" Tobi shouted back, sounding a bit scared.

Deidara reached into the two pouches at his waist, _let me size him up with some chakra level C1 explosives first._ The mouths on his hands started to form little bombs. His movement attracted Sasuke's attention. "Stay back, Tobi!" Deidara shouted as he held a couple handfuls worth of clay bombs. With a lavish toss, he threw them into the air, making a quick hand sign. The bombs sprang to life, revealing that they were spider shaped.

Sasuke activated his Chidori and then threw it at the bombs in the shape of senbon needles, piercing quite a few of the bombs and pinning them to various objects.

Tobi ducked as the bombs and senbon were thrown near him, "WAAH! Time out, Partner! Don't YEEARGH yet!"

"Gah!" Deidara glared in frustration at his partner, not paying attention to Sasuke.

Tobi glanced up at his partner, "Deidara! Behind you! Look out!"

Deidara started to turn, throwing another bomb at Sasuke, startled by the Uchiha's appearance behind him; he made a hand sign, setting off an explosion as the bomb blew up in between Deidara and Sasuke.

"Deidara!" Tobi shouted, extending his hand as if to help. He started to sob, "He may have been strict, but he was a good partner…I will never forget him…"

"Oh will you shut up…hmmm?" Deidara snapped as he slid towards Tobi, having managed to dodge the blast.

Tobi immediately stopped sobbing, "Hey! You're alive!"

Deidara watched as Sasuke landed several meters away from him, _I somehow managed to escape hidden in the bomb blast…good thing I kept the chakra level at C1… Tobi's right. He's too quick…_ He started to form another bomb in his hands, _which means C2 is my best bet._

Tobi came up behind him saluting, until he saw what Deidara was making, "Th-that's…!" With a puff of smoke a massive clay dragon stood behind Deidara and Tobi.

"Ta-daa!" Tobi shouted happily. "Presenting one of my partner's signature pieces, the C2 Dragon!"

_He creates explosives…!_ Sasuke realized as he gazed at the massive dragon.

Leaping onto the dragon's head, Deidara shouted, "Tobi! You know what to do, right?"

"Yessiree, partner!" Tobi confirmed, "As discussed!"

Sasuke watched as part of the dragon's tail receded, and within seconds the dragon spewed a bunch of soccer ball sized bombs.

_Can that giant thing become an explosive as well? And from the looks of it, it can probably fly too…_ Sasuke took off running towards the Akatsuki members, "What a bother."

"Here he comes!" Tobi said excitedly, "Let's show him the power of your pop art, Partner!"

"Pop is dead!" Deidara shouted excited, "My art is super flat, hmmm?"

The dragon opened its maw again and this time it spat out a miniature version of itself that flew straight towards Sasuke. When the min-dragon was a few feet away, Deidara made a hand sign, causing the mini-dragon to explode.

Sasuke leapt backwards just in time, _this one was different…it was a guided missle._ He was distracted as the dragon rose into the air, and then Tobi disappeared, _where's the other one?_ He judged the distance between himself and the dragon, _hmm…first things first then._ He activated his Chidori and formed it into a blade sending it towards the dragon. With one last flap of its wings, the dragon managed to stay out of reach of the Chidori blade.

_It's length is about five meters, huh?_ Deidara thought, analyzing the situation. "Copied that off Kakashi, didn't you? But I'll give you credit for those change in chakra forms."

Sasuke allowed his jutsu to recede, _he's a long distance fighter, huh…and he's already caught on to my threshold._

Another part of the dragon's tail receded, "This one's got more bite than the last bunch!" Deidara was excited now, "No matter how tough your defenses are, they'll be blown to bits, hmmm?"

The dragon opened its mouth and spat out another mini-dragon, that shot towards Sasuke with lightning speed, but Sasuke was faster.

Deidara gritted his teeth in frustration, _he really is swift. _Sasuke slid backwards, having dodged the mini-dragon. Deidara grinned as Sasuke hit a certain spot on the terrain, _gotcha…hmmm?_

A bomb exploded where Sasuke had hit, and Deidara muttered to himself, "Is it done?" He glared as he saw that Sasuke was still alive, and that he had activated his curse mark, even though the Uchiha was on his knees. _Orochimaru's curse mark, he… I didn't realize it could grow wings too… so he neatly avoided the blast by flying, hmmm?_

Just then Tobi poked his head out of the ground, "Partner, I've set all the land mine clay now! We're good to go!

"Good work, Tobi!" Deidara called out. "Now get out of here."

"Yes sir!" Tobi said, waving, before be went back underground.

Sasuke assessed his situation while I got to his feet, _guided missiles from above and land from below, huh…_

"The key point is the C2 coordinated assault between the land mines that prevent free movement on the ground and the pinpoint of missile attacks from the air," Deidara boasted. "The ground around you is already completely seeded with mines all set to automatically detonate upon contact."

Sasuke glared at Deidara, _not only has he limited my movement with the mines below and the missiles above…but he's also making sure to hover just beyond my maximum attack radius…_

"You think you can still avoid my aerial attacks with those wounded legs, hmmm?" Another part of the dragon's tail receded, "This next one's goon be huge. Hmmm?" The dragon opened its mouth wide as a, pudgy, mini-dragon started to come out. Sasuke's wings twitched just as the dragon spat out the round mini-dragon.

His wings covered him as he tossed his blade and some shuriken into the air the blade implanting itself in the ground.

Deidara was smug as he spotted Sasuke lying on the ground, his left wing a bloody stump, "Shouldn't have used your wings as shields. Now you won't be able to fly anymore…not with only one." He laughed triumphantly. The dragon opened its mouth again, to reveal an even pudgier mini-dragon, "Don't worry. I'll end it right now… hmmm?"

Before the dragon could spit out the mini-dragon, Sasuke yanked his left arm back, revealing small threads that started to tighten around Deidara, while the shuriken he had thrown earlier, started to come back at Deidara. Reacting quickly, Deidara had the dragon move out of the path of the shuriken while he freed himself.

"You think you can take me down with those?" He shouted. "Don't you mock me!" The dragon spat out the mini-dragon, and Sasuke started to run to dodge it.

_Lateral movement?_ Deidara thought in surprise. _There's no where safe to go! Land mines or missiles… Sasuke is doomed!_

Sasuke leapt onto the hilt of his blade and spun around to face a stupefied Deidara.

_A foot hold? _Deidara thought, starting to feel a prickle of fear again as Sasuke leapt into the air.

Activating his Chidori, Sasuke formed it into a blade and extended it towards the dragon.

_He deliberately thrust his blade into the ground? To check for land mines and to create a foothold for himself?_ The dragon tried to dodge, but its large wing was hit by the Chidori blade. _What? It reached?_

Dragging the sword back, Sasuke sliced off the dragon's wing, causing it to start careening towards the ground.

"Your balance!" Tobi shouted in alarm from a distant tree.

_He extended his reach by the length of his blade and the distance of is one-winged jump…_ Deidara glanced at the ground, "My position!" _I'm right above his blade now? That's it! He lured me here with his shuriken attack…to get me into range of his chakra blade…! That blasted brat!_

Sasuke threw two giant shuriken and pinned Deidara, by his sleeves, to his dragon. "Gah! Can't move! _The same shuriken as earlier?_ _Shoot! The land mines!_ His dragon exploded as it hit the land mine filled ground.

As he fell towards the ground, Sasuke made a hand sign and snakes sprouted from the stump that remained of his left wing, where they entwined themselves around a tree, dragging him away from the blast.

"PARTNER!" Tobi shouted in alarm.

Sasuke stood on a branch, panting, and he allowed his curse mark to recede.

Tobi spotted the remains of his partner's cloak, "You DID die a death by bombing after all! Deidara, you fool!

"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up, Tobi? Hmmm?" Deidara shouted as he flew out of the blaze on a clay bird, several burns on his body.

"OH!" Tobi exclaimed. "You're still alive…"

"Obstinate…" Sasuke muttered as he glared at Deidara, who glared back, lost in his own memories of similar eyes that belonged to a different Uchiha.

Deidara finally dragged himself out of his memories, "I know I'm better than you. I will not lose to you! Not to such a…such a…" He couldn't come up with a word terrible enough to describe Sasuke. He reached into his pouch, and pulled out some of his clay, before he started to eat it with gusto.

"Oh! He's eating the dentonation clay! That can only mean one thing…" Tobi murmured.

Deidara swallowed, "I'm gonna kill you with this…my master piece!" He inhaled deeply, "Tobi! Run!"

Tobi had already started leaping from tree to tree, "Whoa! Yikes! It's the C4 Karura!"

Sasuke watched Deidara warily as Deidara expelled the clay in a larger quantity than he had eaten, and as it morphed into a shape.

**The C4 Karura!**

Tobi continued to leap from branch to branch, "Run!"

Deidara finished expelling the clay and glared at Sasuke, _this was supposed to be my trump card to kill Itachi with, but oh well…hmmm?_

Sasuke stared in horror at the shape in front of him, _is this an explosive too? If so…_ The explosive was enormous and it looked like a giant Deidara. _It's huge! If this goes off…_ He decided that he didn't want to stick around to find out, taking off at a run to try and avoid the explosion.

"You're going to run?" Deidara demanded. "You really think you can escape from me and my C4 Karura?" The C4 started to follow Sasuke, easily keeping Sasuke within striking distance. Deidara made a hand sign and the C4 started to expand before it exploded…sort of. There was no fiery blast that incinerated everything in its path.

Sasuke glanced back in disbelief as the rest of the bomb disintegrated. _It misfired?_ He wondered, before he glanced up at the grinning Deidara, _no… That's not it. _His eyes widened as his Sharingan watched the true carnage of the explosion take place, "That's…!"

Deidara laughed triumphantly, "I win! Art is an explosion!"

Birds that were flying disintegrated into dust, and a lizard on a try was soon dust on the breeze as the true horror of the C4 was revealed.

"Sayonara, Sasuke!" Deidara shouted, as he saw Sasuke stare at his arm in horror.

"No way…that's…" Sasuke was disintegrating at an alarming rate, until nothing was left of him.

Deidara watched the ground below intently, "Hmmm." When there was no sign of Sasuke he grew excited, "Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm! Now THIS is my greatest masterpiece!"

Tobi was still getting away from the area, not sure if he was out of range of the C4 yet, "The C4 Karura: super, teeny nano-sized explosives formed from the rupturing of the giganto Deidara, the blast wave scattering them far and wide. The mini-bombs then implant themselves within the bodies of any and all creatures that inhale them. And when they explode the multitude of cellular level explosions destroy their victims from the inside out… A fearsome jutsu indeed."

Deidara brushed the hair away from his face, and he closed his left eye as he opened his right eyed, "I've got to remember to thank Itachi." He chuckled to himself before he shouted triumphantly, "I won, I won! My art w…" He blanched as he felt the eyes of someone on him. He glanced to his left to see Sasuke behind him, his curse mark fully activated and his right wing now sporting several snakes.

Sasuke's Chidori pierced Deidara's chest, as Sasuke landed behind him, "Seems like you've used up all your chakra since your reaction time was slower this time."

"Those eyes…ugh!" Deidara managed to say.

"Bombs too small for the eye to see, I'll give you credit for that," Sasuke said. "But my Sharingan sees chakra as colors. Your mini-bombs packed with chakra were clearly visible to me as a big, colorful cloud. I could also see that you were hovering just outside the bombs range. So I knew exactly where I had to go to avoid your attack."

Deidara glared at Sasuke, "But I saw you die from the C4."

"That was my genjutsu," Sasuke stated.

Deidara grunted in pain from his chest wound, before he chuckled, "So…it was just as I thought, hmmm."

Sasuke ignored this statement, "I deliberately avoided striking a vital spot. Now, tell me–where is Itachi?"

"Like I said," Deidara muttered. "I've got to remember to thank Itachi…"

This statement confused Sasuke until he felt a hand grab his left ankle; a glance downwards revealed Deidara. He gazed at the Deidara he had hit with his Chidori, only to see clay, _a…CLAY clone?_

Deidara said, "I figured you would perform a genjutsu. You're just like Itachi. Did you think I'd fall for that same trick twice…hmmm?" _Ever since the day I first face Itachi, I've trained my left eye to nullify the Sharingan just so I could break that very genjutsu!_ He hauled himself out of his clay bird, "This time, it's over for real! How do you like a direct C4 attack?"

Deidara started to spit out a clay bomb shaped like himself, morphing the clay so that it would absorb Sasuke's body. He bit off the last bit of clay, "Now who's running out of chakra…hmmm? Bet you don't have enough to free yourself. Do you…?" He leapt away from his bomb.

Meanwhile, inside of the bomb, Sasuke found himself surrounded by a cloud of chakra that revealed itself to be mini-bombs. "Just as I thought," Sasuke murmured.

Still sailing away from the bomb, Deidara pulled out some of his explosive clay and took a bite out of it, cringing as his body gave a throb of pain from his lack of chakra. He spat out the explosive clay, "Gah…that hurts!"_ Almost used up all my chakra…this piece is no good._

Back inside the bomb, Sasuke glanced at his arm, his Sharingan still activated, and spotted the bombs floating in his blood stream already. Alarmed, he used the Chidori to escape from the confines of the C4.

Deidara shouted, "Now what're you gonna do…hmmm?" _He used what's left of his Lightning Blade…_

Sasuke made a beeline for Deidara, his Chidori still going strong. Deidara wasn't worried, "Your Lightning Blade attack will never reach me in time from that distance!" Sasuke remained unfazed by this threat. Deidara made a hand sign, "Game over!"

Deidara sailed into the trees just then, missing the outcome of his jutsu, as he hit several branches before he landed on the ground in a heap. He sat up and turned to where he believed the remains of Sasuke would fall, and sure enough, he could see his jutsu finishing off the few pieces that remained of Sasuke.

He was a bit surprised, "I won… I won! My art triumphs!: He stood up and wiped some blood from his mouth. He started to laugh in relief, but then he felt the gaze of the Sharingan on him, just before he turned to see Sasuke right next to him, swinging to punch him.

Sasuke's punch hit its mark, sending Deidara flying.

Panting, Sasuke watched Deidara warily, as the Chidori was being emitted from all over his body.

"What…how?" Deidara muttered in disbelief, _this is no genjutsu…which means…_ "How did you disarm the C4 bombs?" He finally noticed the sparks coming off Sasuke's body, "You… No, you couldn't possibly have… You KNEW?"

"Yeah…." Sasuke admitted, "From the get-go… When facing Sharingan, you really ought to weave your signs out of the line of sight. Because no matter how fast you are, these eyes can read them. All of your jutsu so far have used Earth Style signs. My Chidori is a Lightning style…you do the math."

"So you HAD figured it out…" Deidara muttered. "Then that Lightning Blade you used…"

"Earth style is vulnerable to Lightning style. Your bombs can be defused by running Lightning style chakra through them…it's their Achilles heel."

Deidara was furious, "Now I see…by running that Lightning Blade through YOURSELF you turned all the C4 inside your body into duds."

"Yeah, but the effort sure wore me out," Sasuke admitted. "By the way, my jutsu is technically called Chidori…"

_I can't believe he dissected my art's weak point so quickly…_ Deidara thought. "When did you realize it?"

"After you detonated those land mines," Sasuke explained. "Thought I've been analyzing you from the get-go. When I countered your first attack with my Chidori Senbon I noticed that among the bombs you hurled at me many of them didn't detonate. That's when I formulated a hypothesis."

"A hypothesis?" Deidara murmured.

"That the only one that did go off the single new bomb that you tossed to negate my parry. All of the previous ones pierced by my Chidori Senbon never went off. But I wasn't sure. Maybe you didn't detonate them on purpose because some had landed near your partner," Sasuke explained.

"You mean you couldn't tell if they didn't go off because of your Chidori or because of me, huh?" Deidara mused. "I see…so you then tested your theory out on the land mines?"

Sasuke nodded, "That's right. You said yourself that the land mines were rigged to blow automatically. So I could confirm if my Lightning style jutsu could nullify your Earth style bombs." Realization struck Deidara, "Yeah…when I stabbed the ground with my blade…it wasn't to see if there was a mine there or not. I was testing my hypothesis by running my Chidori charged blade through a mine I knew was there."

"But how?" Deidara demanded, "How did you know the exact locations of the mines?"

Sasuke got an evil glint in his eyes, "Maybe you didn't hear me the first time…these eyes can see chakra as different colors."

**The Ultimate Art!**

"You SAW where the mines had been placed?" Deidara gritted his teeth in frustration. "But what would you have done if the mine had stayed active and went off?"

Sasuke answered, "There were two possible outcomes, and I had a backup plan ready, just in case. One you haven't seen yet."

Deidara was surprised, _he still has other jutsu?_ Sasuke started to walk towards him, and he tried to get to his feet, but to no avail.

Sasuke continued to advance on him, "Again…where is Itachi?"

Determined not to be caught, Deidara created clay snakes that wrapped around Sasuke's ankles. Sasuke was unfazed, merely sending Chidori down the snakes bodies towards Deidara, who flung himself away from the snakes before the Chidori could strike him. Sasuke hit his knees from exhaustion, unable to continue towards Deidara.

Deidara chuckled, "You talk tough, but you're on your last legs too. Your chakra took a big hit right there, hmmm? Victory here is mine. Because even if I can't move, I've still got my detonating clay…" Sasuke glared at him. "Oh…come on…aren't you even a little scared? Hmmm? You're about to become my greatest masterpiece ever!" He chuckled some more, while Sasuke remained impassive. His good mood soon vanished, as he shouted, "That's what annoys me about you the most! Both of you Uchiha boys! You think you're just so cool! And those eyes make me sick! Always judging me and my art! You have no appreciation of a true master or the beauty of my work and it makes me want to kill you!"

"I couldn't possibly care less about what you want," Sasuke stated. "I just want to know where Itachi is."

Deidara glared at Sasuke and watched in disbelief as Sasuke's Sharingan receded, "you've even retracted your Sharingan…is that how little you fear me?" He yanked off the remains of his cloak and shirt, revealing some stitching on his chest. He lifted his left hand up to the stitching where the teeth on his hand ripped the stitching out, revealing a massive mouth. "Behold!" Deidara said, as he fed the mouth some clay. "My ultimate art!" His body started to become lined with black veins, "I shall detonate myself!"

_He's insane!_ Sasuke thought, worried about the explosion that was sure to come.

"Never before has an explosion like this been seen!" Deidara shouted, a maniac gleam in his eyes. "One that shall scar the very Earth itself and receive rave reviews from all my critics! For with my death—I shall become art!" _Sorry Tobi…I doubt you'll be out of range…_ "And when I do, Sasuke Uchiha, you will finally die!" Sasuke started to stand. "The blast will cover a ten kilometer radius! Not even you can escape it! Hmm?" His body was now mostly black veins, and the mouth at his chest was now a black ball with glowing eyes. "NOW are you afraid? Cower in awe! Recoil in despair! Cry your heart out!" Now his body was merely an outline while the mouth started to gain a definite, circular shape as the black lines started to pull in towards it. "Because my art…" Sasuke's eyes widened in fear as the lines formed a complete sphere that started to crack with the power contained within it, "Is and explosion!" The blast rose into the sky and could be seen for kilometers around as the blast destroyed its ten kilometer radius.

**The Target…!**

Meanwhile, Sakura and the two dogs gazed up in surprise at the strange shaped blast, "What is that?"

"Kakashi?" Pakkun barked at the same time Alpine growled, "Sara!"

"Holy shit!" Sara said, staring wide eyed at the explosion.

Kakashi studied the blast, "From the feel of that chakra…it's that Akatsuki member."

A wind hit them; a result of the huge explosion, both of the Great Dane's sniffed the air. Streak glanced at Alpine, who nodded, "Sara, Sasuke's scent was on that wind!"

Kakashi and Sara exchanged an uneasy look. "Let's go check it out," Kakashi stated, before he led the way towards the blast.

Kiba and Akamaru gazed in shocked awe at the blast, "What the?"

Meanwhile, Shino studied the blast silently while the two dogs that were with him waited for his verdict on the phenomenon.

Sai and the two dogs that were with him paused, the crazy looking one muttered, "Huh?"

"What's going on?" Hinata asked in a terrified whisper as she gazed at the blast along with Yamato, Naruto, and Big Bark Bull.

Naruto was slightly impressed by the blast, "Let's check it out!"

The Leaf Village shinobi weren't the only ones to see the blast though, Suigetsu stared in awe at the blast, "That's…"

Jugo changed course and started heading towards the blast area, already aware that Sasuke had been in that general area.

Jugo wasn't the only one to realize this though, in town, Karin gasped, "That's about where Sasuke is!" She closed her eyes and scoured the area for Sasuke's chakra, _I can't sense his chakra!_

Suigetsu reached for a scroll at his waist, "Crap! That's near our rendezvous point! Oh no…!" He glanced at the snake on the front of the scroll, which faded, "Just as I feared!"

The blast finally faded leaving a crater in the earth and an enormous column of smoke.

Suigetsu unrolled the scroll and popped the lid off a bottle containing Sasuke's blood, "All right." He slammed his hand on the scroll, _Summoning Jutsu!_

There was a large puff of smoke that slowly cleared to reveal a large, scorched, purple snake.

"S-So this is Orochimaru's pet, Manda!" Suigetsu muttered in awe. "I know even Orochimaru had trouble controlling this serpent…so how did Sasuke?" He gazed closely at the eyes and noticed the three commas surrounding the snake's pupils, just as the commas faded. _I see…he used genjutsu…_ Suigetsu turned as he heard a grunt of pain come from near the large serpent's nose to see Sasuke fall onto his knees.

"Hey, you're all beat up!" Suigetsu exclaimed as he hurried to Sasuke's side. "Who were you fighting?" Sasuke didn't answer as he gasped for breath.

Manda found the strength to speak though, "You…used…me… You insolent…stripling… Those eyes…you…hypnotized me…with those eyes…How…dare…you…" The great serpent's eyes glazed over.

"Oh dear, he's died." Suigetsu stated. "Wasn't Manda also Orochimaru's favorite? You really ought to treat animals better and not force genjutsu on them…"

"I had no choice," Sasuke managed to say. "There was no time."

"There you are!" Karin shouted as she and Jugo ran towards them. "I thought you might be here. Your chakra suddenly disappeared! I didn't know what to think…but I guess you were teleporting, huh?"

"Wait…if you used teleportation ninjutsu to escape into another dimension inside Manda…why are you so beat up?" Suigetsu questioned.

Sasuke answered, "Just before we jumped, Manda and I were hit by the blast wave. My opponent was one of the Akatsuki. He was a lot stronger than I anticipated."

Karin blushed as she studied Sasuke, who was shirtless, _Sasuke is pretty sexy even when he's cut up and bruised…!_

"Whatever," Suigetsu said. "You still need to take a little break."

To make up for her mental lapse, Karin shouted, "Pathetic! I can't believe you're the one who actually took down Orochimaru!"

"Orochimaru's illness made him weak. That's all…" Sasuke admitted.

Later on, at an inn, Sasuke was sitting on a mat, blankets pulled over his lap and bandages on his face, arms, and torso, "So, have you found any leads on Itachi?"

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Karin demanded. "You're in no shape for this now!"

Suigetsu answered Sasuke's question, "We were able to track down some general intel on the Akatsuki, but nothing pertaining directly to Itachi."

Karin shrugged to show that she had had no better luck on finding information on Itachi.

"Seems they're targeting specific individuals who possess special chakra," Suigetsu continued.

"Special chakra?" Sasuke wondered.

Jugo said, a bird sitting on his shoulder, "I've been conversing with animals and have pinpointed a few of their hideouts. They say they sense powerful, unpleasant chakra emanating from those places."

"Wow," Suigetsu said sarcastically. "So now even lowly animals can sense chakra, eh? Huh…just like Karin."

Karin kicked Suigetsu in the face, causing his head to burst into water, "What did you just say?"

Sasuke glanced at Jugo as the bird on his shoulder flew out of the window in a hurry. A shudder passed through Jugo.

"That's it Suigetsu! I've had it with you!" Karin shouted, reducing Suigetsu to just a pair of legs with water for his top half.

"Kill…"Jugo said as his curse mark started to spread. "I want to kill you…I don't care which one of you…" This froze Karin in her tracks and Suigetsu started to reform his upper body.

Both of them reacted quickly, grabbing Jugo and holding him in place.

Suigetsu complained, "Shoot! Jugo's killing impulses have been awakened!"

"Sasuke, hurry up!" Karin shouted.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, "Jugo. Calm down."

Jugo froze under Sasuke's gaze, and his curse mark receded. He collapsed onto his knees as Karin and Suigetsu released him, "S-so sorry…" They all glanced up as they heard a soft snore escaped Sasuke. He had exhausted himself by using his Sharingan.

At the crater, Naruto, Hinata, Yamato, and Big Bark Bull had arrived.

"Naruto!" Sakura said turning.

Yamato said to Naruto, taking in the fact that all of the others were there, "Looks like we're not the only ones who got curious."

"Yeah, but what happened?" Naruto demanded.

Sakura answered, "There's evidence Sasuke was here until just before we arrived!" Naruto stared at them all in confusion.

"There's a trace of his scent," Kiba explained.

Sara added, "Plus a bunch of other ones as well."

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned.

Shino elaborated, "By the look of this crater, a battle was fought here."

The dog Sakura had been traveling with sniffed the ground, "Just as I suspected! One of the other scents is identical to the one I detected in town!" Sakura glanced down at the dog, surprised. "Sasuke is not traveling alon. He's got a companion."

"Then that time…" Sakura whispered.

Streak rolled his eyes, "I bet you're also going to say that it's not just one but three! We already figured that out!"

The gray dog growled, and Streak did the same before Sara grabbed his headband, saying in a soft, but commanding tone, "Knock it off!" He obeyed, though he continued to cast smug glances at the gray dog.

One look from Kakashi was enough to stop the gray dog from attacking Streak. He said, "Sasuke's probably formed his own cell and is now on the move. But two out of the remaining six scents belong to Akatsuki members.

"Okay, so what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked. "Let's follow Sasuke's scent!"

"Impossible," Pakkun stated.

Naruto gazed at him, dumbfounded, "Huh? How come?" Kiba closed his eyes at that moment and made a hand sign, concentrating on something, but no one paid him any heed.

"The trail goes cold here," Kakashi stated.

Naruto exclaimed, "What? How?"

"Either Sasuke was blown to bits by the explosion, or he teleported out of here," Sara explained. "Either way, the dogs can't find the scent."

Kiba surprised them all by saying, "I believe it's the latter. My nose is sharper than a dog's and I've found him."

Kakashi was impressed, _a nose sharper than a ninja hounds…? Truly impressive, Kiba, you're living up to the Inuzuka name._

"Then what're we waiting for? Lead on, Kiba!" Naruto shouted, excited once more.

**Brothers!**

Back in the inn room, Sasuke was still asleep, while Suigetsu sat near Sasuke's mat, acting like a guard, while Jugo conversed with several birds.

Suigetsu muttered, "That girl's late… How long does it take to pick up supplies?"

Meanwhile, Karin was just wandering around the town, "I wish it would get dark soon…" She blushed then, _once Jugo and Suigetsu are asleep I'll have Sasuke all to myself!_ She giggled, "I'm excited already!" She pulled a perfume bottle out of her pocket and sprayed it on her neck. Several different levels of chakra suddenly reached her senses, and Karin turned in the general direction they were coming from, "What…?"

The Leaf Village ninja were leaping through the trees and the dogs were keeping pace with the ninja. Naruto asked, "Well, Kiba?"

Kiba glanced back at Naruto, "Sasuke's scent is faint and fading! I need to concentrate! So shut up and stop distracting me, Naruto!" Naruto went into a moody silence, following Kiba.

Sara came up beside him, "Hey, relax. Kiba will find him!"

"Bright Eyes…when we find Sasuke…you're not…?" Naruto tried to ask her, but she dropped back as soon as he said Sasuke. Naruto sighed, _Bright Eyes…_

Karin stood in the middle of the street, her eyes closed, _yep. They're coming…and fast. There must be a lot of them…I can sense many different amounts of chakra…not all o fit human either…dogs…I think…_ Her eyes flew open, _they're tracking us by scent…either the Akatsuki or the Leaf Village…_

In the inn room, Suigetsu said, standing up, "Jugo! I'm going to check on Karin. Do me a favor and try to control yourself."

"Yeah, no problem," Jugo answered.

Suigetsu was reaching for the doorknob when the door was kicked right onto him. Karin shouted, "Wake up, Sasuke!" Jugo stared at Karin in surprise.

"What?" Suigetsu managed to grunt from underneath the door.

Karin elaborated, "We're going to have company so what now?"

Sasuke opened his eyes, obviously exhausted, "Everyone get ready. We're leaving. Jugo, mark the map with the location of every Akatsuki hideout you learned about."

Within minutes, they were heading out, with Suigetsu asking Sasuke, "You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered, leading the way, throwing on a traveling cloak, "I've been healing a lot faster since I absorbed Orochimaru's power." _So this is the power of the white snake…_

"Whether it's the Akatsuki or the Leaf Village, they may have intel on Itachi," Karin stated. "It might be wise to lie low and then ambush them…what do you think Sasuke?"

Sasuke answered, "If they're coming in force, it's most likely the Leaf Village. The Akatsuki only operate in pairs."

"Ambushing them is a waste of time," Suigetsu finished.

"Right," Sasuke said nodding. "Leave the Leaf Village ninja be."

"So what's the plan?" Karin questioned.

Sasuke answered, "Itachi is our only priority. Once we locate him, worst comes to worst, you three take care of the Leaf shinobi." He pulled out a scroll, "But first, Team Hebi, we use Jugo's intel and hit those Akatsuki hideouts one by one."

"Fine," Karin stated.

Sasuke led the way, "Let's go."

Karin tapped Jugo's shoulders, getting his attention, "Do me a favor…"

"What is it?" Jugo questioned, stopping as Sasuke and Suigetsu kept walking unaware that their comrades had stopped.

"How many of those birds can you assemble at once?" Karin questioned.

Jugo was wary now, "Why?"

Karin blushed as she pulled out some of Sasuke's clothes, "Well…I've got these clothes that Sasuke wore, all drenched in his sweat…and I was thinking I could…"

Jugo interrupted her, "Wait…why do you have Sasuke's sweaty clothes?"

"You know what? Forget it!" Karin snapped, getting defensive. "Don't know why I bothered coming to you of all people, jerk!" Jugo waited patiently for her to calm down, knowing he wouldn't get an answer out of her, "A-anyway! Sensory type shinobi have different specialties depending on their village of origin. The Leaf Village tends to use ninja hounds for tracking." She pulled out a kunai and started to rip up Sasuke's clothes, "I'll just use that to our advantage…"

The Leaf ninja were still moving through the trees when Kiba had Akamaru slow down, he looked perplexed. "What's up, Kiba?" Naruto asked.

"Shoot! Sasuke's on the move!" Kiba answered.

Naruto's eyes widened in dismay, "Then we'd better hurry! He's probably going after Itachi!"

"Wait!" Kiba held out his arm, just in case Naruto tried to shoot past him, "That's weird… Sasuke's scent is scattering! It's all over the place now! Going in all different directions at once?"

"They must have sensed our approach and are now trying to fool us into splitting up," Kakashi stated.

Sakura glanced back at him in alarm, "Sensed us? How?"

"I don't know, exactly," Kakashi answered. "But I'd guess they have a pretty adept sensory-type ninja with them."

Kiba shouted, "Our comms aren't long range! If we split up, they'll be useless!"

Sara glanced down at Alpine, the most adept of her dogs at tracking down the strongest of scents when they were all the same, "Can you scent anything yet?"

Alpine scented the air several times, before he shook his head, "We're still too far away…" Streak growled in frustration on Sara's left side.

"I could have told you that!" Kiba snapped. Sara shot him a warning glare, "Sorry…" he muttered. "But I am the only one who can track him…but I don't know which scent to follow!"

Naruto closed his eyes in thought before he made a hand sign, "Then there's only one thing to do! Follow all the scents!" _Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!_ With a puff of smoke there was a slew of Naruto's heading off in different directions.

Lucky growled in frustration to Big Bark Bull, "How are we supposed to stick with him if he makes so many clones like that?" Big Bark Bull shrugged, glancing back at Kakashi for new orders, but Kakashi wasn't paying attention to him.

One of the Naruto's heard a rustle in the bushes as they were moving through the trees, so they landed on the ground, and slid behind a tree for cover. He spotted a silhouette behind a different tree and he spotted the glint of red that indicated that the person had the Sharingan, _Sasuke…!_

The figure stepped fully out of the shadow, revealing a black cloak with red clouds, _no that's…! Itachi Uchiha!_

Itachi gazed right at his hiding spot, "Come on out, Naruto Uzamaki."

Naruto stepped out from his hiding spot, "Let me guess, you're here to capture me?"

"No… I just want to talk," Itachi answered. Naruto remained silent as two of his clones came out of the trees behind Itachi.

Without looking back, Itachi pulled out two kunai and threw them, hitting each of the clones.

"Yeah right!" Naruto snapped. "Like I'd ever trust you!"

Naruto refused to look at Itachi's face, but he was wary of the Akatsuki member's hands as well, remembering his last encounter with Itachi when he had been rescuing Gaara. He remembered Granny Chiyo's advice, _when facing the Sharingan one on one, you run. _

As if reading his mind, Itachi questioned, "Didn't Granny Chiyo teach you anything about fighting the Sharingan? You're alone here. You're supposed to run…"

"Whatever!" Naruto snapped. "I can be any number from one to one thousand! Besides, why would I want to run? If I catch you, I'll get to Sasuke again!"

Itachi said, "You're obsessed with my brother, why? He's gone rogue. Abandoned his village. His friends…"

Naruto practically growled, "We may not be blood but he's more of a brother to me than you are to him!" He charged Itachi then, no weapons in hand.

Itachi moved his cloak and crows swarmed out, surrounding Naruto, _"You are already within my genjutsu."_ Naruto glared at Itachi as he started to change into crows, _"I'll say it again. I just want to talk."_

A few seconds later, Naruto was on the ground, the crows were gone and Itachi still stood in front of him, "What's going on?" Itachi remained silent. "Don't just stand there! Come on! Let's finish this!"

"I must go," Itachi finally said, making a hand sign. "I have an important matter to attend to." He changed into a bunch of crows.

Naruto stared at the crows in amazement, _a Shadow Clone!_

Meanwhile, in one of the Akatsuki's hideouts, Sasuke was moving through the cave with extreme caution. He slipped around a corner and glared at the figure that stood blocking his path.

The figure said, "So…you've come at last…"

"Who…who are you?" Sasuke demanded.

The figure opened his eyes, revealing the Sharingan, "It's me…Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and rage as they shifted into the Sharingan.

**_Now the wait for Part 8 begins! Mwahahahaha! _**


End file.
